Just as the monotonous murmurs surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future appeared to be dying, the rumour mill around the Manchester United star has stirred up again.
The rumour mill around Manchester United's wantaway striker Cristiano Ronaldo has rekindled just as the repetitive mutterings about his future seemed to be fading down. Even while some of Europe's elite have backed off from pursuing a bid for the Portugal talisman, reports from all over the continent indicate that the five-time Ballon d'Or's future is still far from certain. According to Sport, dim light on the horizon seems to have appeared as Chelsea's interest has been reignited.
The summer market days are passing, and the situation for Ronaldo is becoming increasingly tense. The Portuguese superstar, who has been having friction with United boss Erik ten Hag since he arrived in England last month, still hasn't resolved the issue of his possible departure from Old Trafford. The problem is the difficulty in giving the legendary footballer an escape route due to his high salary and that United does not want to lose money. However, Chelsea could perhaps offer the talisman what both the player and the clubs want.
Early in the summer, the west Londoners were mentioned in connection with the 37-year-old as new owner Todd Boehly sought to make a marquee acquisition in his first summer in charge. Chelsea is lacking a centre-forward after the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, but it was widely believed that coach Thomas Tuchel had no interest in bringing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner into his squad. Tuchel is not sure that Armando Broja can lead his line this season, according to the sources from Spain; thus the Blues have reportedly reevaluated their stance over Ronaldo.
One of the few teams that can afford the Portugal forward is Chelsea, but according to Sport, the Blues do not want to pay a transfer fee for Ronaldo. If the claim is accurate, a compromise of some kind would need to be found, given United's insistence that the 37-year-old is not for sale and the Portugal captain's alleged reluctance to forgo the last year of a lucrative contract.
United are reportedly interested in adding one last piece to this market: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The Lazio midfielder would cost a little more than 60 million euros, so it seems necessary to release Ronaldo's salary and make money with his sale. Chelsea can unblock the operation, but the contacts have not yet been made.