Chelsea have been sounded out over whether they would be interested in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to the club, football.london understands. The 37-year-old is keen to leave Manchester United this summer, according to a recent report from The Athletic.
Ronaldo is under contract at Old Trafford for another 12 months and United have made it clear that the Portugal international is not for sale this summer. However, should Ronaldo push for a move, then United's stance on the veteran could change.
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who is also acting as an interim sporting director, recently held talks with Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's agent, where a switch to Stamford Bridge was among the subjects mentioned in the conversation. As mentioned above, the Blues have been sounded out over a move for Ronaldo, but Thomas Tuchel will have the final say on whether they make an approach.
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Ronaldo returned to Man United last summer for around £13.5million from Juventus. In his first season back in the Premier League, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 18 goals in 30 appearances in the top-flight.
Despite that brilliant record, Ronaldo was often criticised for not helping the team when out of possession. It's a criticism Romelu Lukaku, who recently completed his return to Inter Milan, received numerous times last season when playing for Chelsea.
So Chelsea will be keen to not make the same mistake in terms of purchasing a player who does not necessarily fit Tuchel's way of playing. However, Roy Keane, who was speaking in April, predicted Ronaldo to shine at Chelsea should he ever move to Stamford Bridge.
"He [Ronaldo] is outstanding," Keane said. "It's the hardest part of the game, putting the ball in the back of the net. That was his only chance tonight. You see the chances Chelsea were creating. Imagine if he was in the Chelsea team, he'd probably get 50 goals. He's in a poor United side who aren't creating many chances for him and he is still producing."
Tuchel is a big fan of Ronaldo – which seems obvious to say considering what he has done in his glistening 20-year career. The German coach was asked about the former Real Madrid attacker ahead of Chelsea's clash with Juventus in the UEFA Champions League last September after Ronaldo departed the Old Lady for Man United.
Tuchel said: "Time will tell, but it isn't a secret that any team in the world without Cristiano is in some parts of the game a weaker team. He is one of the greatest who has ever played this game and he proves it every time he is on the field.
"Now [Ronaldo is] in the Premier League and in the Champions League, so [Juventus] lost a big champion, a big point of reference and a big personality. But you can win games and be a strong team without Cristiano Ronaldo. This is also true."
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