10 Game-Changing Premier League Summer Transfers
1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Sporting Lisbon To Manchester United (2003)
Cristiano Ronaldo isn't a shy boy, and not even disparaging statues of him can deflate his super-ego. This wasn't always the case though, because back in 2013 a spotty, teenage Ronaldo was an unknown quantity, who arrived at Manchester United with something to prove.
In the same summer that David Beckham loudly exited the front gates at Old Trafford, this unassuming Portuguese lad entered through a side-door. Although the £12.24 million deal was a big one at the time - making Ronaldo the most expensive teenager in English football - little was known about the youngster. His brief time at Sporting Lisbon made a startling impression on Alex Ferguson though. He ear-marked Ronaldo for greatness by handing him the coveted number 7 shirt; a shirt made famous by the likes of George Best, Eric Cantona, and Ronaldo's predecessor, David Beckham.
Ferguson's faith in the talent of Ronaldo was not misplaced, as he was more than capable of filling the big boots of the great players that'd come before him. He became an undisputed United legend in his career at the club, a legacy that wasn't even tarnished by him leaving to join Real Madrid in another game-changing summer transfer in 2009.