Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has delivered a cryptic response to transfer speculation linking Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge.
Ronaldo made it known to United earlier this summer that he was keen to leave Old Trafford if the club received a suitable offer for him, with Chelsea being heavily linked with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
However, despite Blues owner Todd Boehly holding talks with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes earlier this summer, where it was believed that the forward's future was mentioned, recent reports claim that Chelsea will not look to buy the Champions League's all-time leading goalscorer, with Tuchel not believed to be keen on signing the 37-year-old.
While in a press conference during Chelsea's pre-season tour in America, where they face Mexican side Club America in a friendly in the early hours of Sunday morning, Tuchel was asked about the possibility of signing Ronaldo.
The Blues' German boss said that while he is "a fantastic player," he would not speak about the striker's future, not ruling out the possibility of a switch for the forward.
"He's a fantastic player for another fantastic club in the Premier League but out of respect we don't comment on these players because we don't like other coaches to speak about our players," said Tuchel.
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"This is where it has to stay. We focused on our top target Raheem Sterling who we could sign and everything else stays behind closed doors."
Chelsea completed their second and third signings of the summer transfer window in the early hours of Saturday, acquiring Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in a deal worth £34million and Arsenal youth midfielder Omari Hutchinson.
Koulibaly's arrival is a big boost for Tuchel and his side, who have prioritised replacing the double summer departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who left Stamford Bridge on free transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Meanwhile, the arrival of Hutchinson adds an attacking midfielder to the club's Under-23s side. The 18-year-old is a Jamaican international who made his senior debut for his nation earlier this year.
Chelsea are looking to add more centre-backs to their ranks this summer and are said to be attempting to land both Presnel Kimpembe from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City's Nathan Ake. However, reports claim that the Blues will turn their attentions to Sevilla's Jules Kounde instead of Ake after falling short of City's valuation of the Dutch international.
The Blues play their first friendly of pre-season in the early hours of Sunday morning, taking on Club America at 3am (UK time).
