Nani may have to be patient to earn a regular starting place in United's team according to former Red Jimmy Nicholl.
The 20-year-old Portuguese winger has made a big impact during pre-season since signing from Sporting Lisbon. He has scored three goals and displayed an impressive talent for running at defenders with great speed.
Former United and Northern Ireland player Nicholl, who saw Nani at first hand against Glentoran on Wednesday, says that while he already appears to be an excellent addition to Sir Alex's squad, he may not walk straight into the team.
“For his goal against Glentoran he showed good skill and a great finish, the keeper had absolutely no chance," he told Sky Sports. “But I don’t know if he’ll go straight into the team. We saw what happened with Cristiano Ronaldo when he first came over. I think Sir Alex will bide his time with him and bring him in gradually.
“In saying that, he has shown that he will put himself about. Everybody has to be prepared to put a shift in and he’s certainly not lazy."
But it isn't just United's big-name summer signings that have impressed Nicholl. Beneath the surface there is a crop of young players like Gerard Pique, Darron Gibson, Danny Simspon, Fraizer Campbell and Lee Martin hoping for first-team opportunities.
The latter two youngsters also impressed Nicholl in the 125th anniversary match in Belfast. “The runs Campbell made show that he is a clever player," he added. "He is very intelligent with his movement and you can see that he knows the game and understands it. He is certainly a bright one for the future.
“Lee Martin also did well. The pleasing thing about him is that he was back in the second half clearing off his own line. He showed all the tricks further up the field but he was prepared to work hard and defend, which was good to see."
The strength of the Reds squad has a lot of fans eagerly anticipating the new season, and Nicholl is no different. "I hope that Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea come good and challenge to make it an interesting league," he said. "But United are the team to beat, they really are. I canÂ’t wait for the start of the Premier League."