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Latics chief on star's sale
Wigan Athletic, 15:05, June 21, 2009 ,
Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan says Antonio Valencia will be a 'sensation' if he joins Manchester United as expected.
United are set to sign the Ecuador international for around £18million this summer as Sir Alex Ferguson re-invests some of the £80million the champions will receive from selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.
And Whelan says at that price the winger is a 'steal' who has all the attributes to become a world beater at Old Trafford.
"I think Antonio is the best wide right player anywhere and that includes Franck Ribery," the Latics supremo said in The People. "If this lad goes to Man United he will be a sensation there.
"Within a few months and over the course of a season the United supporters would come to worship this lad.
"We see him week-in, week-out in games and in training and he's a world-class player."
Valencia will undoubtedly be compared to Ronaldo should he make the move but Whelan believes he is a different type of player.
"He doesn't play the same way as Ronaldo," he added. "There is no show or flash, but he's a world-class player and he'll take some replacing. No-one tackles him or takes the ball off him because they can't get near him.
"At the kind of money that's been talked about for Antonio he'd be an absolute steal. United appear to be getting £80m for Ronaldo and they would be paying out a fraction of that for Valencia, so it would be great business because this boy has got immense ability."