"Like comparing any French midfielder to Zinedine Zidane" – Louis Saha plays down comparisons between Manchester United star and Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has stated that Alejandro Garnacho can't be compared to Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Garnacho, 18, has emerged as one of the most gifted talents at Old Trafford since arriving from Atletico Madrid for £420,000 in 2020. He has broken through into Erik ten Hag's first-team plans due to his electric performances on the left flank in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign.

A right-footed inside-forward blessed with pace and flair, the Argentina U20 star has registered four goals and five assists in 1061 minutes of action, spread across 29 appearances this campaign.

During an interaction with Betfred, Saha was asked about Garnacho being likened to a young Ronaldo. Lauding the winger, he responded:

"I can see in his eyes that he wants to perform, however you can't compare anybody with Cristiano Ronaldo. There's no comparison at all. Cristiano is a lion and no disrespect to Garnacho, but if he can be half as good as Cristiano, then that's absolutely fine."

Sharing his thoughts on the two attackers, Saha continued:

"The Portuguese's work ethic and body shape has allowed him to play for around 20 years, so Garnacho would have to gain at least 20 centimetres or more as Cristiano is a big unit who can also play as a striker. It's a completely different prospect, to be honest."

Playing down the recent comparisons, Saha concluded:

"Garnacho can be an amazing talent for many, many years but he shouldn't have any comparisons to Cristiano right now as that brings massive pressure. It's like comparing any French midfielder to Zinedine Zidane. People really shouldn't do things like that."

Ronaldo, who had his Manchester United contract terminated last year, registered 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 matches for the Red Devils.

Serie A star linked with Manchester United admits his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo

Earlier this year, Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund claimed that the Portuguese star was his idol. He told Serie A's YouTube channel:

"My idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. My father told me about him when he was at Manchester United and then later at Real Madrid. It was a fantastic cycle. I just love his mentality... he's always eager to score in every game. I admire him. He's passionate and I like that."

When asked about the Manchester United links, Hojlund responded:

"Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a Manchester United fan. So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me to be able to join them, but of course that doesn't mean that I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point."

Hojlund, 20, has netted eight times in 14 starts for Atalanta this season.