The Evening Standard has reported that Chelsea have emerged as the favourites to sign Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo this winter.
Ronaldo is unlikely to play again for the Red Devils following his damning interview with Piers Morgan where he revealed that he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag and that Manchester United “betrayed” him.
Following the sensational interview, the Portuguese striker’s future at Old Trafford has effectively come to an end. ESPN have revealed that the higher-ups at United have been left furious by Ronaldo’s interview and are siding with ten Hag in what has been dubbed as a ‘power play’. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be leaving the club over the coming weeks.
The Evening Standard is reporting that Chelsea have become the bookmakers favourites to sign the former Real Madrid and Juventus star. Chelsea are priced at 4/1 with Jose Mourinho’s Roma second favourites at 5/1.
The Blues were previously linked with a move for Ronaldo this past summer but former boss Thomas Tuchel rejected the possibility of having the 37-year-old at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are one of the few clubs who could realistically afford Ronaldo’s wages with the Portuguese reportedly on £26m-a-year at Man Utd. They are also in need of a regular goalscorer, so it’s no surprise they are once again being linked.
Chelsea must avoid the Ronaldo bullet
However, while Graham Potter’s side have struggled in front of the goal this term, as tempting it may be, they must avoid signing Ronaldo even if the veteran agrees to lower his wage demands.
Ronaldo has been at the center of the spotlight at Manchester United this year. He failed to force a move in the summer and walked out before the end of the final whistle on two occasions. He also refused to come on as a sub against Tottenham Hotspur and was consequently sent to train with the U21 side and fined two weeks wages.
While he has had a fantastic career, Ronaldo is on an inevitable decline, and signing him would do more harm than good at Stamford Bridge. First up, he wouldn’t fit into Potter’s high-energy system and would slow down the team due to his poor work-rate. Second, Chelsea are in a tight battle for a top-four spot this season and they cannot afford to have any dressing room controversies.
We may have seen the last of Ronaldo in the Premier League and it has been an illustrious career in England for the talisman. Chelsea though, are best poised as a spectator and must not look to take advantage of this situation.
