Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas has encouraged Graham Potter to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. The 37-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge ahead of the World Cup after he and Manchester United parted company.
As the five-time Ballon d'Or winner set his sights on international glory with Portugal, speculation of a move to west London quietened down. But, after Ronaldo's side were knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco in the quarter-final, talks concerning his future have reignited, with Gallas urging the Blues to complete a deal.
As quoted by the Metro, the former France international claimed that Chelsea would 'benefit' from signing the Portuguese star because he has a point to prove. With Potter in the market for a new striker, Ronaldo has been touted as the ideal short-term fix as he looks to avenge a sorrowful end to the year.
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"What I know is Todd Boehly wanted Cristiano Ronaldo in his squad when Thomas Tuchel did not," said Gallas, prior to Armando Broja's injury. "Maybe it’s a good opportunity for six months to bring Ronaldo to Chelsea.
"But as Ronaldo said, if he wins a World Cup, he’ll retire! It would be good for Ronaldo to go to Chelsea so he can still play in the Champions League and it can benefit Chelsea too because they need a striker."
The Metro report that Ronaldo has received offers from the Middle East and Australia but he’s holding out for a Champions League side. It's said that he was earning around £500,000-a-week at Old Trafford but, as it stands, he’ll reportedly have to heavily reduce his wage demands if he wants to remain in Europe.
According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, Thomas Tuchel was a primary 'roadblock' in negotiations when Boehly tried to sign Ronaldo in the summer. It remains to be seen whether Potter is interested in signing the striker and the reigning Blues boss has kept his cards close to his chest.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's home clash with AC Milan in the Champions League, when links with Ronaldo first began to emerge, 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."
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