Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo in a training session. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Former Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘tempted’ at the prospect of joining Chelsea as the January transfer window draws close, as per Calciomercato journalist Daniele Longo on Twitter (h/t Express).
The Portugal international left the Red Devils by mutual consent last month and is now a free agent. The 37-year-old is a heavy name to have on the wage bill and is also in the final years of his playing career.
This could make him an unsuitable candidate for several clubs. Nevertheless, Ronaldo is said to be tempted by the prospect of playing for Chelsea – a club in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the last campaign. And the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward was eager to leave Old Trafford, with Chelsea mentioned as a name eager to secure his signature.
However, co-owner Todd Boehly and then Blues manager Thomas Tuchel were at loggerheads about bringing him to Stamford Bridge. Tuchel was sacked and replaced by Graham Potter a week after the summer window closed down.
Now, if Boehly’s desire to bring the superstar to west London has stood the test of time, then this could become a possible next step in Ronaldo’s career. He is currently with the Portugal national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Any decision on his future would probably, as a result of this, come after the showpiece event in Qatar. It remains to be seen what Potter thinks of such a transfer if it does become a possibility.
We do need a striker after loaning out Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan and selling Timo Werner to RB Leipzig this summer. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was signed from Barcelona but the 33-year-old cannot be a long-term solution at his age.
Ronaldo is three years older than the Gabon international. This is an investment we can live to regret and it is best to avoid the trouble of bringing Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge and invest our resources elsewhere – even if signing Portugal’s No. 7 would be a headline-grabbing transfer and possibly the most famous deal our club has ever conducted.
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