Manchester United's New Signing 'Seems Similar' To Cristiano Ronaldo, Ex-Red Devil Says

Rio Ferdinand isn’t assuming anything, but he has a feeling that Manchester United has signed a player who has the same potential as a young Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United had completed Amad Diallo’s transfer about a week ago after years of tracking his progress at Atalanta.

Ahead of his English Premier League debut, Diallo has already become a hot subject.

According to the ex-Red Devils defender, his former club is looking at one of the biggest soccer stars of the future generation in Diallo.

What’s even more interesting is that the 42-year-old is having some sort of a déjà vu in Diallo’s arrival at Old Trafford to that of Ronaldo in 2003.

“We’ve just bought a kid in from Atalanta and hopefully he does something,” Ferdinand said of Diallo on his “FIVE” podcast. “If you see his clips and speak to people at the club who are involved in buying him, potentially this kid could be a world-beater.”

“That is the thought of Manchester United people, that this kid is one they have unearthed,” he continued. “I don’t want to put the pressure of [Cristiano] Ronaldo on him, but no one knew about Ronaldo when we bought him other than the people in Portugal. This kid seems similar in that sense and if you see his clips and the way people talk about him, the world is his oyster if he applies himself right.”

Indeed, Ronaldo broke onto the scene at Manchester United. During his six-year spell at Old Trafford, the Portuguese striker won three Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy and one FA Cup conquest.

Diallo may have the qualities that the young Ronaldo had at the time. However, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had previously assured that the team will be patient about the 18-year-old’s progress.

"Of course we know he’s a young boy who’s going to learn his trade and come into a new country and new style of football, so we’ve got to be patient with him," Solskjaer said of Diallo.

Aside from Diallo, the Red Devils are also keeping tabs on another prospect who has earned comparisons to Ronaldo.

Recent reports revealed that Manchester United is considering a transfer move for Sporting CP’s Pedro Goncalves.

The 22-year-old is reportedly viewed as a possible replacement for Paul Pogba, but as early as now, Goncalves is already likened to Ronaldo and has even recorded better numbers than Bruno Fernandes during his time at Sporting.