A former Premier League manager has shared Sir Alex Ferguson's response to him on how Manchester United would go about replacing Cristiano Ronaldo following his departure in 2009.
The Portuguese forward spent six years at Manchester United under Ferguson, where he evolved from a raw teenager into one of the best players in the world.
He signed for £12 million from Sporting CP in 2003 and left for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world-record fee of £80 million.
During his first three seasons at Old Trafford, Ronaldo was widely criticised for his inconsistency and lack of end product.
In 2006/07, he really began to show signs of fulfilling his potential as he scored 23 goals in all competitions.
The following season was the first time he reached elite levels, scoring 42 goals to fire Manchester United to a Champions League and Premier League double.
Ronaldo helped them retain the title in 2009 but they lost the Champions League final to Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, who became one of the greatest club sides ever.
Manchester United struggled to come to terms with Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. (Image: Laurence Griffiths / Staff via Getty)
Manchester United struggled to come to terms with Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. (Image: Laurence Griffiths / Staff via Getty)
The European final in Rome was Ronaldo's last match for Manchester United before he made the switch to Spain.
Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew, who managed West Ham, Newcastle and Crystal Palace, revealed what Ferguson told him at the time of Ronaldo's departure.
He said to talkSPORT: "Well, I'm not going to be able to replace him.
"There's no one who can do the numbers, right?"
It was not just Ronaldo that United lost that summer, as Carlos Tevez made a move to fierce rivals Manchester City, following the expiry of his loan deal.
It left United needing to replace two of their best attacking players and they brought in Antonio Valencia from Wigan, Michael Owen, who was a free agent, and Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux.
Valencia proved to be a dependable player at Old Trafford for many years but none of the trio came close to replicating Ronaldo's (or even Tevez's) impact.
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for what was then a world-record transfer fee. (Image: Shaun Botterill / Staff via Getty)
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for what was then a world-record transfer fee. (Image: Shaun Botterill / Staff via Getty)
Do Newcastle United have the same problem with Alexander Isak?
Liverpool's opening bid for for Isak, which was believed to be in the region of £120 million, was rejected by Newcastle United.
Although the Reds are expected to return with an improved offer, it leaves the North-East club with a big decision.
Like Ronaldo was for United, Isak is comfortably their best player.
But unlike United, who had stars like Wayne Rooney, Newcastle do not have the same level of star-studded quality around Isak.
Even if Liverpool offer an eye-watering £150 million for the Swede, that does not mean Newcastle will be able to replace him with a similarly talented player.
Given how much Newcastle have struggled in the transfer market this summer, their caution is wise.