Todd Boehly's transfer dream of bringing one of the game's best goalscorers in Cristiano Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge was consistently squashed by Thomas Tuchel, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed instead. But that has stopped the Chelsea co-owner from giving up on.
The Manchester United striker looks almost certain of a move away from Old Trafford after seeming to fall out with manager Erik ten Hag. Ronaldo, 37, was excluded from the United squad for this weekend's 1-1 draw with Chelsea as part of his punishment for an incident in midweek.
With the Red Devils comfortably 2-0 up against Tottenham on Wednesday night, Ronaldo refused to come on for Ten Hag and walked down the tunnel before the final whistle. Whilst his team-mates celebrated an important victory against one of the top four rivals, Ronaldo had already left the stadium.
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Ronaldo's name being in the headlines for the wrong reasons hasn't vanished Boehly's wish of bringing the Portuguese captain to West London, and reports have insisted that the American businessman remains keen on making a January move.
However, reports from Ben Jacobs suggest Graham Potter sits in a similar position to Tuchel and has alternative attacking options in mind to improve his forward line. At least three other players are said to be preferred: AC Milan's Rafael Leao, Lille's Jonathan David and Brentford's Ivan Toney.
All three of Potter's referred targets have scored more goals than Ronaldo and have been linked with a big-time move in the past. Leao's future at Milan looks almost certain to be elsewhere after entering the final 18 months of his contract, whilst David has attracted interest with nine goals in 11 Ligue 1 appearances.
Boehly's Ronaldo wish isn't just for footballing reasons. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival would be a signing for the brand of Chelsea Football Club, with 491 million followers on Instagram and 104.1 million on Twitter. But it remains to be seen whether Potter believes the move is the correct one on the pitch.
The idea of a six-month deal has been discussed by the hierarchy at Chelsea, while the possibility of a year-long extension would be provided should the move work out for both parties, according to Sunday World. Boehly will have to sit for the time-being as his immediate future at Old Trafford is set to be decided in the coming weeks.
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