Manchester United have had some fantastic and iconic players wear number seven.
George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have all worn the famous jersey, and will be remembered among the best players in the history of the club.
However, since Ronaldo vacated the jersey in 2009 to join Real Madrid, the players wearing number seven haven’t been as distinguished.
Michael Owen inherited it from Ronaldo, and while he was once a great goalscorer, he was well past his prime at Old Trafford. Antonio Valencia lasted one season with the number seven, before switching back to 25 in 2013.
And now the jersey is up for grabs again, as Antonio Valencia’s successor at number seven, who may go down as the worst player to hold the jersey, is on the verge of leaving the club.
Memphis Depay will join Lyon after the French club a transfer fee worth €17m with United, according to The Guardian.
That means United will make nearly a 50 percent loss on the 22-year-old, who cost the club €34m from PSV Eindhoven just over 18-months ago.
The Dutch winger was top scorer in his final season in the Netherlands, but started poorly at United and things quickly got worse.
Depay played just 52-games for United, scoring seven goals. He was originally a guaranteed starter for Louis van Gaal, but failed to perform on a consistent basis.
The Dutch winger lost the ball 35-times in a single game, against Newcastle United last season, and it wasn’t long before he was out of the team.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Depay was soon relegated to the reserves and wasn’t even named among the substitutes for the FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace.
Jose Mourinho appeared to make his mind on Memphis instantly, and rarely used him.
Memphis may turn into a good player, but he’s arguably one of the worst signings in Manchester United’s history. His attitude was poor and he failed to carry out the basic requirements of a winger.
The club have have also lost almost half their money on him, and he contributed next to nothing on the pitch.
It’s some fall for a player tipped to be the next Ronaldo when he first joined the club.
Catch up with this week’s episode of 888sport Football Friday Live:
