For all of the brilliant purchases Sir Alex Ferguson made in the transfer market at Man United, there were some real stinkers too.

More often than not, Ferguson had a great eye for picking players just as they would be about to hit their prime and ensured he would be the manager to help them achieve their true potential.

Of course, this didn't always work. Bebe, Anderson and Juan Sebastian Veron are just a few of those who arrived at Old Trafford with heightened expectations, only to prove a serious disappointment.

Gabriel Obertan almost definitely falls into that bracket too.

Before joining Man United in 2009 Obertan was struggling to break into the Bordeaux team and had spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Lorient.

Nevertheless, United fans were still prepared to give the French U21 international a chance to show he could cut it at one of the biggest clubs in the world and arrived as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Unfortunately, in the 24 months he spent at Old Trafford, Obertan very rarely shone in what few opportunities he was given by Ferguson.

In all, the winger made 27 appearances for the Red Devils and scored just once before he left for Newcastle.

A brief spell at Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in 2016 followed his stint in the north-east before he made a return to English football earlier this year.

Obertan joined ex-United reserve team boss Warren Joyce at Wigan but was unable to help them avoid relegation from the Championship.

Having been released by the Latics in the summer, it hasn't taken the 28-year-old long to get started on a new challenge, though.

According to France Football, per The Sun, the ex-United flop is on the verge of signing for Bulgarian side Levski Sofia.

Sofia, who are currently managed by Nikolay Mitov, finished 3rd in the top flight of Bulgarian football during the 2016/17 campaign.

Despite their relatively low status in the European game, Sofia can boast playing at the second largest ground in Bulgaria - the Vasil Levski National Stadium - which has a capacity of just over 43,000.

They have held talks with the Frenchmen over the last few days and he is expected to sign a two-year deal at the club. He joins fellow another familiar face to Premier League fans, Jordi Gomez, who has also signed for Mitov's side.

Obviously, a lot has changed since Fergie took a punt on Obertan all of those years ago but even the legendary Scot must find it hard to believe just how the player he thought could replace Ronaldo has actually turned out.