Charlton: Man United deal was hugely disappointing for supporters and the club - View | OneFootball

Davide Petrucci was a highly-rated youngster at Manchester United, and seemed destined for big things when he signed for the club in 2008.

United angered Roma fans when they signed the then 16-year-old from the Italian side, paying around £200,000 in compensation to secure the teenager's signature.

The midfielder scored 14 times in 19 matches for Roma's youth side before joining the Red Devils, and Sir Alex Ferguson's side looked to have secured a star for the future with the deal.

However, he failed to make a first-team appearance for the club, and a loan move to Charlton Athletic proved to be the last straw for the talented youngster in 2014, having already spent time away from Old Trafford prior to his switch to The Valley.

Petrucci had multiple loan moves away from Old Trafford

Despite being a high-profile signing for the Red Devils at the time, Petrucci never played for the club and had numerous unsuccessful loans away from the team.

He struggled to find time on the pitch at United, with his struggles behind the scenes - which included a fight with Portuguese winger Nani on the training ground - likely doing little to help his chances of making it at Old Trafford.

After impressing for the United youth sides, he secured a loan move to Peterborough United in January 2013 - that move turned out to be a dud, as he played just four times in a disappointing spell for the Posh.

The following season, he secured a loan move to Royal Antwerp of Belgium in the summer of 2013, but played just 12 times before being recalled by United.

Petrucci's move to Charlton was a disappointment for all involved

After being recalled from Antwerp in January 2014, Petrucci signed for Charlton on a short-term loan deal in March of that year.

With the hype the player had surrounding the move, his performances at The Valley were a big disappointment for both the player and the club.

The club were 20th in the league when they made the move for Petrucci and they were battling against relegation down to League One in the last few weeks of the season.

Their form did improve soon after, although that can hardly be attributed to the Italian's impact on the side.

However, at the time, fans of the club noted his poor performances - they noticed his lack of pace and poor awareness on the ball, which all added up to a number of disappointing games for the Londoners.

The lack of playing time at Charlton was a big disappointment for fans and the club, who avoided relegation after four wins and one draw in their last ten matches, finishing 18th in the league.

That would have been the goal when the Italian signed on loan near the end of the campaign.

However, he struggled to displace midfielders like Jordan Cousins and Johnnie Jackson, which seemed obvious considering his lack of experience and short time at the club.

The lack of impact he had during his short spell at the club did little to impress the fans or the management.

If Petrucci had made an impact during his loan spell, then there would have potentially been an opportunity for a permanent move to the Championship, especially given that he had just one year left on his United deal.

Following his return to United, Petrucci was included in the first-team squad by manager Louis Van Gaal.

However, he decided to terminate his deal with the club that summer, with the disappointing spell in the Championship seemingly the last straw for the Italian midfielder.

Petrucci did get a top flight move after that as he headed to Romania to ply his trade for CFR Cluj, and further moves came to Rizespor of Turkey and back to Italy with Ascoli and Cosenza, as well as in Israel with Hapoel Be'er Sheva.