Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United: Portuguese open to Chelsea move?

Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly informed Manchester United that he will be willing to leave the club this summer to hunt for a better ambition. He returned to Old Trafford last season from Juventus, having been away for over a decade. While he finished as the top goal-scorer for the club last season, the Red Devils failed to impress him, finishing sixth in the English Premier League (EPL), as it plays the UEFA Europa League (UEL) this season. Meanwhile, United's English rival Chelsea is pondering having Ronaldo at Stamford Bridge, while the Portuguese is reportedly open to moving to London.

As fans wonder why Ronaldo did not inform the club earlier about his decision, it is presumed that he wanted to wait and watch United's activity in the transfer market. However, the slow pace of the club in the same and apparent lack of ambition has made him think otherwise.

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Per ESPN, Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has held a fresh round of talks with new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. Besides, German champion Bayern Munich and French champion Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are also being tipped among the possible destination for the Portuguese. While Boehly is interested in having Ronaldo at Stamford Bridge, it would be interesting to see if head coach Thomas Tuchel is keen on having the 37-year-old.

Ronaldo scored 24 goals in 38 games across competitions for United last season. However, he reportedly had dressing room disagreements. In contrast, then-caretaker head coach Ralf Rangnick suggested letting Ronaldo leave in January as he did not fit his pressing style of football. Although the Red Devils insist that the Portuguese is not for sale, Chelsea could seriously consider the option, besides having Neymar in sight, who is reported to be open to being sold by PSG.

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Chelsea is also willing to enter the race for Polish striker Robert Lewandowski of Bayern, who is eyeing a move to Spanish giants Barcelona. At the same time, the Bavarians have turned down multiple offers from the Catalans. With Ronaldo looking to continue playing UEFA Champions League (UCL), he might be willing to take a pay cut from his current salary of £500,000 per week and join a rival club. In contrast, he was close to joining United's crosstown rival Manchester City last season.