Manchester United signed Memphis Depay, who has been dubbed the 'Next Ronaldo', this week. But how does the Dutch starlet compare to Ronaldo when he was 21?
Read: Man United PSV Agree €30m 'Next Ronaldo' Deal
Red Devils scouts and a few pundits believe Depay is better than the arguably current best player in the world was at his age and he made the move to United at the right time.
Unlike Ronaldo, Depay only joined the English side after establishing his name in one of Europe's lesser competitive league, the Dutch Eredivisie.
Ronaldo, of course, rose to stardom at Old Trafford and won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 after impressing under Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, when looking at the Portuguese's stats until the 2005/2006 season, when he was 21-years old, one could argue that Depay was further in his development.
The Portuguese made 131 appearances in his first three seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 26 goals in all competitions. Depay, meanwhile played slight less first team games (122), but scored 49 goals so far - albeit being in a lesser rated league.
The Dutchman saw his goal-scoring explode during the current campaign where his 21 goals made him the leading marksman in Holland and helped PSV win the Eredivisie title.
Ronaldo had won two titles, the 2003/04 FA Cup and the 2005/06 League Cup, with United, while Depay added his third trophy with the league title to his cabinet. He has also won the 2011/12 KNVB Cup and the 2012 Johan Cruyff Shield already.
Both scored two goals at their first international tournament, Ronaldo as a 19-year-old at 2004 EURO and Depay as a 20-year-old at the 2014 World Cup.
Read: Is Neymar Better Than 23-Year-Old Ronaldo?
Funny enough, both are born in February, but Ronaldo has achieved a hell of a lot in the nine years since he was 21.
It is now up to Depay to prove whether he, in fact, can become the next Cristiano Ronaldo and emulate the Portuguese's goal-scoring and title records.
Do you Memphis Depay can keep up with the 'Next Ronaldo' tag? Have your say in the comments section below.
