Chelsea have been put on red alert as Erik ten Hag begins to plan life at Manchester United without Cristiano Ronaldo. The 37-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge on a number of occasions this season as Todd Boehly looks to bolster the club's frontline.
Following an explosive interview with Pier Morgan, the striker now faces an increasingly uncertain future at Old Trafford as his relationship with the club - and fanbase - appears unfixable. The Red Devils are said to be upset after Ronaldo's TV interview caught the club off guard, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner claiming that he felt betrayed.
With United seeking legal advice regarding Ronaldo's future, Ten Hag has already delved into the market for a new striker to replace the Portugal international. According to the Mirror, the Red Devils have 'accelerated their plans' to welcome a new talisman to the club and Kylian Mbappe has emerged as a shock potential target.
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The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer but, after penning a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain, a move looked to be off the cards. Just months later, Mbappe seemingly had a change of heart.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, the France international wanted to leave the Parisians in the January transfer window after feeling as if he had been betrayed by the club amid several apparent broken promises.
Despite having looked destined to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu, the report stated that he had no interest in joining Los Blancos, leaving the door wide open for the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and United to try their luck. While the Blues haven't been directly credited with interest in Mbappe, the club have come close to signing the Frenchman before.
Ten years ago, he and his family were brought to England where he spent a week at Cobham training ground with the Chelsea Under-12s. At which time, the likes of Tammy Abraham and Jeremie Boga were earning their stripes.
A move collapsed and the west Londoners lost sight of a player who would go on to become one of the world's best. It remains to be seen whether Graham Potter holds an interest in either Mbappe or Ronaldo but, with both supposedly on the market, Todd Boehly will be like a kid in a sweet shop in January.
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