Chelsea are “one step closer” to signing Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, according to reports. The Portugal international has been heavily linked with an exit as he looks to continue competing in the biggest competitions.
There appears to have been some appreciation from the Blues’ hierarchy for the forward. New owner Todd Boehly held talks with agent Jorge Mendes, where discussions over the possibility of a switch to west London was mentioned.
It comes at a time where Thomas Tuchel is looking to bolster his forward line. The German coach struggled to find consistency out of his attacking unit last campaign, with a number of squad players set to leave, spearheaded by the high-profile loan exit of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan.
Raheem Sterling has made the move from Manchester City, opening the account of summer incomings. However, more work may have to be done to get the side free flowing in the final third.
Ronaldo could be an option to fix that, with the 37-year-old scoring 24 goals across all competitions for a struggling Manchester United side. And it appears as though the player is waiting on the next move from his agent to find out his destination.
Portuguese football expert Pedro Sepulveda told Sky Sports on Thursday: “I can’t see Ronaldo from Man Utd next season. The two main teams one step closer than the others are Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.
“I can see him playing for those two teams – Chelsea have a new owner, a new project, with money to spend on transfers. ”
“He [Ronaldo] is still in Lisbon – he’s not been hiding somewhere in Europe, he’s in Lisbon and hasn’t changed his routine to hide from the journalists and people who want to see him. He was spotted on his balcony at his apartments, he’s still posting some pictures during his workouts and training.
“He’s still waiting for what Jorge Mendes will tell him to do – we don’t know if he’ll travel to Manchester, and even if he does it doesn’t mean he will stay at United.”
It’s another twist in the tale of Ronaldo’s summer, given his struggles to find a new club so far. Chelsea face Manchester United in October and it remains to be seen if he lines up in red, blue or if he’s in the match at all.
