Javier Hernandez might just be the best deal of the season. The Mexican forward, known as “Chicharito,” scored twice for Manchester United on Tuesday as it pushed past Marseille 2-1 and clinched a place in the Champions League quarterfinal for the fifth straight year.Hernandez has not been around long. He was shrewdly snapped up by Sir Alex Ferguson at the beginning of last summer, with United paying a figure to Chivas Guadalajara that was estimated to be around $9.5 million.
If given a few more weeks, Chivas might have demanded a few extra bundles of cash after his eye-catching performance for Mexico in the World Cup.
Even those efforts, though, pale in comparison when stacked against Hernandez’s displays for United. The EPL is a tough breeding ground, and some of the biggest stars in the world have floundered in their early days, or even years.
Indeed, United’s own staff regarded Hernandez as a player who would be more likely to shine in his second and third seasons at Old Trafford, due to his slight physique and the alterations needed to adapt from the Mexican league to the English style.