Yes, to a lesser extent he was our 'Robinho,' a sign that we are serious about chasing talent rated on the world stage and not just content to play second fiddle to names seen as more established.
Neither player will have justified their price tag for the respective clubs (assuming he does move on, naturally I would love him to fulfill his obvious talent here) but the role they have played is a little more subtle then simply playing, it was arguably more important.