The opportunity to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for a second time is one that Chelsea plans to pass up.
According to reports, Chelsea is opposed to the idea of acquiring Cristiano Ronaldo in January. After mutually terminating his contract at Manchester United, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be available on a free transfer, but the Blues are believed to be prioritizing four other well-known players.
Ronaldo initially requested to leave Old Trafford in the summer, but several elite teams, including Chelsea, turned down a potential transfer.
Working with the former Real Madrid player didn’t appeal to ex-manager Thomas Tuchel, and Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid publicly withdrew.
Some suitors may have been turned off by Ronaldo’s tumultuous relationship with United manager Erik ten Hag. His extortionate salary would be enough to significantly burden any club’s wage bill, even though he would be available for free after a contentious interview caused his contract to be terminated.
The Telegraph claims that despite Graham Potter taking over for Tuchel in the dugout, Chelsea’s position hasn’t changed from the summer and there is no desire to sign Ronaldo.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, one of their four top targets, helped the Blues fill their attacking gap in the summer, and Christopher Nkunku is also getting closer to moving into Stamford Bridge. The camp of the RB Leipzig forward is reportedly finalizing plans for a summer transfer.
That will leave Potter particularly well-stocked up front, and youngster Armando Borja is also vying for a more significant position within the team. Todd Boehly, a co-owner of Chelsea, is rumored to be interested in three additional players with a focus on bolstering the midfield and defense.
Boehly watched Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice at England’s 6-2 World Cup victory over Iran earlier this week. The central-midfield pair would each cost over £100 million, but Borussia Dortmund and West Ham are reportedly planning to sell next summer after years of rebuffing transfer interest.
