Chelsea are set to reignite their interest in Cristiano Ronaldo if Manchester United decide to sack the 37-year-old, according to reports. The striker has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge on a number of occasions this season following several fallouts at Old Trafford.
Following an explosive interview with Pier Morgan, he faces an increasingly uncertain future at the Red Devils as his relationship with head coach Erik ten Hag hangs by a thread. United were said to be 'furious' after being caught by surprise with Ronaldo's TV interview, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner claiming that he felt betrayed by the club.
As a result, the Mirror report that United have been seeking legal advice and the Portugal international could be sacked if his behaviour is judged to be 'a serious enough breach of discipline'. He could even be offloaded before the January transfer window opens, leaving the door wide open for Todd Boehly to swoop back in.
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It's said that 'high-level discussions' have taken place between CEO Richard Arnold, director of football John Murtough and Ten Hag as United 'reject' Ronaldo’s criticisms of the club and are in full support of the head coach. With Ronaldo seemingly on the brink of becoming a free agent, the Mirror outline that the Blues are back in contention to sign the Portuguese star as Boehly looks to boost the sides goal-scoring woes.
If United do decide to sack Ronaldo, the club will have no say in which club he decides to join next. The striker sees his deal at Old Trafford expire at the end of the season too, leaving the Red Devils in limbo.
Ronaldo will be free to begin pre-contract talks with clubs outside of the Premier League in January in order to secure a free transfer in the summer. As it stands, United could either sack him before January, recuperate a small fee in January and relinquish his services for the remainder of the campaign, or let him leave on a free at the end of the season.
According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, Thomas Tuchel was a primary 'roadblock' in negotiations when Boehly tried to sign Ronaldo in the summer. It's said that the former Chelsea boss reached out to Ralf Rangnick to get a second opinion on the striker and he was quickly convinced that signing Ronaldo was not a good decision.
It remains to be seen whether Graham Potter is interested in signing the striker, though the new Blues boss has kept his cards close to his chest. Speaking ahead of the west Londoners' home clash with AC Milan in the Champions League, he said: "We can spend all day with these questions, but I'm not going to speak about this. If they are not our players, I am not going to speak to them."
It must be said that French outlet Jeunes Footeux have reported Potter does in fact want to sign a new striker in January. Whether or not that's Ronaldo, however, remains to be seen.
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