Obertan: I'm proud to be here

Report by Adam Bostock

Gabriel spoke exclusively to MUTV’s Mark Sullivan, in fluent English, moments after being unveiled as a summer signing alongside Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia.

How does it feel to be here?
I am very happy. I am proud to be here. I will try to prove to the boss what I can do and then we will see.

What do you hope to achieve here at Manchester United?
I hope to become a better player, to improve and progress because I’m only 20. I know I’ll have to work hard.

There are many fantastic players here. Are you excited to be amongst them?
Yes, very excited. I look forward to playing with them. I know I’m surrounded by great players like Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney so I know it will be hard (to get into the team) but I am very excited.

Do you feel that playing with these great players can make you a better player?
Yes, even training with them is great. I hope I will have the chance to play with them on the pitch.

What can you tell us about your style of play?}
I think I’m quick and technical – I do a lot of tricks. I like to dribble, to have the ball and take on a defender, face to face.

You’ve represented your country at various levels – for example you scored against England for the Under-21s. Is it your ambition to play at the very top for France?
Yes, although it is pretentious to talk about the first (senior) team now. I am an Under-21 international now and I will work hard. Maybe then, at the end of the season, I may have a chance to get in (into the senior squad.)

Who are your sporting idols?
I love very much Rivaldo, the Brazilian footballer, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.

So will you try and emulate some of Ronaldo’s ability here?
I will try but he is a great player. He won the Ballon d’Or last year so it will be difficult. I will have to improve and progress a lot, then we will see.

We have had some fantastic French players here in the past – Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc and Fabien Barthez – and in the present with Patrice Evra. Do you hope to follow in their footsteps?
I hope so. It will be difficult. All the players you name are internationals so I hope I can follow them.

Did Laurent Blanc, your coach at Bordeaux, talk to you about your move to United?
Yes, I called him before I left and he told me it was a big club with a big structure. He also wished me good luck. So that’s all he told me but he was very confident (for me).

Has Laurent been an influence on your career?
A little bit, even if he was a defender and I am a forward. But he was an influence because he was very technical for a defender, clever with the ball.

Finally, we understand you have a slight injury at the moment. Nothing too serious, we hope?
No, it’s not serious. I just have to be patient and wait to have a full recovery, then come back stronger.

Gabriel Obertan

Gabriel Obertan Profile

United secured the signature of French starlet Gabriel Obertan on 8 July 2009, with the highly-rated forward/winger joining the Reds from Bordeaux following a four-year spell with Les Girondins.

Prior to his arrival at Bordeaux, Obertan began his career with local club Paris-Pantin FC, before making the switch to Paris FC in 2002 and then Paris-Saint Germain. After spending a year at each, he moved to the famed Clairefontaine Academy in order to further his development, before being spotted by Bordeaux scouts.

He joined Les Girondins in 2005 and spent his first year plying his trade in

the reserves. After being offered a three-year professional contract in 2006, he was promoted to the first team at the start of the 2006/07 season and made his debut, aged 17, on 30 September 2006 against Valenciennes. He fired his first goal for the club on 22 April 2007, scoring the second in a 2-0 win over Saint-Étienne. By the end of the campaign he had racked up 17 appearances, 16 of them as a substitute.

The following season, he featured in 26 matches and scored two goals, but he was still limited to mostly substitute appearances due to the abundance of strikers at manager Laurent Blanc's disposal. That trend continued into 2008/09 resulting in Obertan being loaned out to fellow Ligue 1 side Lorient for the second half of the campaign, during which time he featured 15 times, scoring once.

On the international front, Obertan has progressed through the ranks for his country receiving caps at Under 16, 17, 18 and 19 levels. He is currently involved in the French under 21 squad.

Now a Red after signing a four-year deal, the versatile Frenchman is looking forward to the challenge that comes with playing at Old Trafford. "I am very happy to join Manchester United," he said. "This is a big opportunity for

me to play at such a great club. I am very excited to be here and I look forward to proving what I can do."

Reds sign French starlet

Report by Ben Hibbs

Sir Alex Ferguson has made Bordeaux's Gabriel Obertan United's third signing of the summer, after the promising young Frenchman signed a four-year deal at Old Trafford.

The 20-year-old's contract keeps him at Old Trafford until at least June 2013, and Sir Alex revealed Obertan, who can play in a variety of attacking positions, is a player whose progress he has followed for some time.

"Gabriel is a player we have tracked for a few years now, but because of his educational programme our efforts to get him here have always been delayed," the Reds boss told ManUtd.com.

"We are delighted to get him now as he is an exciting prospect. We like to get young players and develop them, and we will see that in Gabriel over the next two years."

Gabriel admits he jumped at the chance to join the Barclays Premier League champions.

“I am very happy to join Manchester United," he told us. "This is a big opportunity for me to play at such a great club. I am very excited to be here and I look forward to proving what I can do."

However, the club has confirmed that due to a slight injury which needs attention, Gabriel will not travel on the pre-season tour.

Introducing... Obertan

Report by Nick Coppack

United’s new signing may be something of an unknown quantity in England, but over in France they’ve been singing his praises for years.

In fact, Gabriel Obertan was being tipped for the top long before he even made his senior debut for Bordeaux as a 17-year-old.

So what sort of player is the France U21 international? And what can United fans expect from his first season at Old Trafford? To find out, we spoke exclusively to BBC 5Live’s European football expert Andy Brassell...

How highly rated is Obertan in France?
He’s a terrific player, although, to be honest, I think some people in France are quite surprised by the transfer. He’s been on the cusp of something great at Bordeaux for a while now – he made his debut at 17 – but he hasn’t quite kicked on and forced himself into the side on a regular basis. Despite that, I think he’ll be a really good fit at United.

What are his main attributes?
He’s a very versatile player and the way United play you need your frontmen to be mobile and flexible. He’s a right-sided attacker, but he can also drop back into midfield or play as a second striker. He could probably also play in central midfield, and I expect his adaptability is one reason Sir Alex was interested in him. He went through the famous Clairefontaine football academy so he has a lot of technical ability and he’s also very quick.

So he’s not a like-for-like replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo?
No, I don’t think you can compare him to Ronaldo or claim he’ll be a direct replacement – they’re different sorts of players. However, like Ronaldo when he first came to England, there’s an element of the unknown around Obertan, which could work in his favour. Remember, though, Obertan’s played about 100 first-team games already and he’s played in the Champions League, so he has decent experience under his belt. In that sense, he’s maybe better prepared for England than Ronaldo was when he first arrived. Obertan also understands his attributes very well: he’s direct and has plenty of tricks, but he’s not going to over-elaborate or do them for the sake of showing off.

Are we talking about a future star?
Well, a lot of people in France think he could become something really special. He hasn’t quite progressed at the rate people had hoped after his debut at 17, but he’s also been a little bit unlucky. Last year, for instance, Bordeaux played Roma in the Champions League and Obertan started terrifically. Bordeaux went 1-0 up and things were looking really good. But then their centre-back was sent off and Obertan was sacrificed for a defender and Bordeaux ended up losing. Similar things have happened on one or two other occasions and there was a feeling that it just wasn’t going to happen for him at Bordeaux, a feeling that luck just wasn’t going his way.

He was sent out on loan to FC Lorient for the second half of 2008/09. They’re not exactly a big club…
That’s true, but he did very well at Lorient. And the fact that Bordeaux sent him on loan to a struggling side shouldn’t be seen as a negative. I think it served two purposes: it said to him that he needed to play more games and start making some progress, but it also would have provided a valuable education. Lorient are a modest club without bells or whistles – he would have been forced to work hard there and roll his sleeves up and get stuck in. While he was there he played for France U21s against England U21s in Nottingham. France won that night, Obertan was the best player on the park and scored the first goal. That performance was a good indication of what he’s capable of.

Realistically, how much can United fans expect to see him this season?
He’s relatively unknown so I don’t think too much will be expected of him. There won’t be too much pressure. I see it almost as a free season for him to ease himself into the club. I definitely wouldn’t like to see him go out on loan – he has such fantastic players to learn from at United and because he’s tall, pacy and has tricks I think he’ll work really well as an impact substitute against tired defenders. I can see him playing about 25 games this season.

Can he cope with the rigours of the English game?
Absolutely. I think the French league, in general, is a great finishing school for life in England. It’s physically tougher than most other leagues in Europe – certainly the Spanish, Portuguese, German or Italian leagues – so that helps players prepare for the Premier League. Most players who have come from France to England are quite physical and get stuck in – people like Drogba and Essien at Chelsea and even Bassong at Newcastle. Obertan is a big guy – 6ft 1in – he’s quick and he can handle himself against defenders. I think that’s something that would have really appealed to United.

Listen to Andy Brassell on BBC 5Live’s weekly World Football podcast.

Papers: Youngster to sign

United to sign Obertan
Manchester United are set to sign Bordeaux's 20-year-old forward Gabriel Obertan, according to reports. Obertan, who has been described by scouts as "rapid, physical and skilful in front of goal" was also wanted by Arsenal, Milan and Internazionale, claimed the French newspaper L'Équipe. The Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud was quoted as saying: "It's actually a great opportunity, we would love to see Gabriel evolve at such a club." L'Équipe compared Obertan to Liverpool's French forward David Ngog and added that the transfer fee has not been disclosed but an agreement between United and Bordeaux has been in place for several weeks.
Staff reporter, The Guardian

The Daily Mail claims United will raid Champions League conquerors Barcelona for holding midfielder Yaya Toure. The Ivory Coast international is allegedly being eyed as a potential replacement if Owen Hargreaves fails to return from injury.

One new arrival, Michael Owen, is tipped by former manager Graeme Souness to succeed at United. "I don't think Michael is shot," says the Scot. "The move will excite him and give him a new lease of life."

The Reds could reap further funds from the sale of £6million-rated Fraizer Campbell to Hull or Sunderland, and The Daily Mirror claims United are insisting on a 25 percent sell-on clause in any deal for the 21-year-old.

Round up by Steve Bartram

Gabriel Obertan

Yaya Toure

Michael Owen

Owen Hargreaves

Fraizer Campbell