The first is quite matter of fact, Gabriel Obertan was not good enough for Manchester United. The second is that he should never have been put in the position he was.
Manchester United signed Gabriel Obertan in 2009. In principle there was little wrong with taking a chance on a young prospect at just £3.5 million.
In the context of Manchester United needing to find a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, it was a shambolic signing.
2009 was a pivotal time for United, who needed to make a statement, amid the exits of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
This was the moment the Glazers‘ penny-pinching began to bite. United signed Antonio Valencia and then Michael Owen on a free transfer.
Obertan was a wild swing at unearthing another star. He was not at the level required, which was an incredibly high bar for a team which won the Champions League in 2008 and reached the final in 2009.
United were able to achieve league title wins between 2009 and 2013, yet this was despite the poor post-Ronaldo transfer window.
By 2011, Obertan was gone, sold to Newcastle, where he was later sold to Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, later returning to English football for a brief spell at Wigan Athletic in 2017.
Where is Gabriel Obertan now
Gabriel Obertan is now 35, long-forgotten otherwise than to point out how Sir Alex Ferguson’s transfer business included some misses as well as the hits.
The Frenchman is still playing, and is in a sweet-spot as his career tails off, enjoying his football in a low-pressure environment.
Obertan is playing in America for Charlotte Independence, a third tier side in the US, out of sight of the major markets in the country.
This low-key atmosphere is a million miles away from the intensity of Old Trafford which Obertan was thrust into when he was just 20.
Obertan is a regular starter for his team who ranks second in their division, and he is having a major impact.
In his past 12 games, Obertan has eight goal contributions, five assists and three goals.
In the 2024 season as a whole, Obertan has scored four goals and provided eight assists in total in 21 appearances.
Rather than playing out on the wing, veteran star Obertan features centrally now, either playing as a striker or attacking midfielder.
Obertan has been playing in Charlotte since 2021, following a stint at Turkish second tier club Erzurumspor, after a spell with Bulgarian club Levski Sofia.
The former France under-21 international was unable to live up the potential which convinced United to sign him, failing to score into double figures in a season at any of his clubs.
His tally of eight assists this season matches his career best, set at Levski Sofia in 2017/18.
What Gabriel Obertan achieved at Manchester United
Gabriel Obertan played 27 games for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson during his two years at the club.
Obertan scored one goal, in the Champions League against Bursaspor, in a 3-0 win which also saw Bebe get on the scoresheet.
He provided four assists, two against Wolfsburg, one against Wolves and another against Southampton.
Obertan left Manchester United with a Premier League winners’ medal in 2010/11, also contributing to a League Cup win in 2010.
We commend him for living the dream of playing for United and even scoring for the club, but it was always a mismatch from day one.
He is doing well to have extended his career to this point, similar to Bebe, squeezing every drop out of being paid to play the game while he can.
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