According to The Daily Mirror, Chelsea are ready to swoop for Cristiano Ronaldo if he is released from his Manchester United contract.
The Portuguese star recently made disrespectful comments towards manager Erik ten Hag and The Glazer family and it appears a matter of time before he leaves the club. United are currently exploring ways of releasing him without handing him a pay-off for the remaining months of his deal.
While this is happening, The Daily Mirror claim that Chelsea are ready to step in with an offer for Ronaldo if his contract is terminated. Blues owner Todd Boehly was keen on bringing Ronaldo to west London last summer, but the proposed move was vetoed by then-manager Thomas Tuchel.
Short-term fix
Boehly saw plenty of commercial value in signing Ronaldo last summer but Tuchel rejected the suggestion. With the German no longer in the dug-out at Chelsea, it won’t be a surprise if they make a lucrative contract offer for the 37-year-old.
Chelsea’s current options up front are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kai Havertz and Armando Broja and none of them have been consistent. Aubameyang and Havertz have had patches of good form, but this won’t be sufficient to qualify for the Champions League.
The club are already eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and need a quality signing for their front line in January. Ronaldo has scored just three goals for United this season, but the £27 million-a-year star has been in-and-out of the starting line-up under Ten Hag.
If he can be trusted as the main striker over a prolonged period by Chelsea, he could play a key role for them. The Portuguese ace scored 24 goals for United last season. He is a confidence player and Chelsea could get the best out of him in the New Year with consistent playing time.
