It seems as though Laurent Blanc isn’t the only person surprised by Manchester United’s latest transfer, as even the player himself, Gabriel Obertan, didn’t expect the move to happen either.

“I knew they had been following me for a few years but I did not think it was going to happen this season,” said Obertan. “We had no longer been in too much contact until the England Under-21s game where I played well for France and scored a goal. That helped things along. We spoke again, and I ended up signing. Ferguson has put me at ease. He said to me that he knows my pros and cons. It’s my potential that interests him. He has confidence in me. It is flattering and surprising. But I know I still have a lot of work to do to get to Ronaldo’s level.”