Chelsea have no interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo after he became a free agent yesterday, according to Matt Law.
The London club wanted Ronaldo last summer, but it looks like any plan for the Portugal international is shelved. Manager Graham Potter is not interested in the player.
Todd Boehly signalled interest in Ronaldo and met with Jorge Mendes during the summer window. The Chelsea co-controlling chairman wanted to sign a star man to mark his consortium’s arrival at the club.
However, then Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel rejected the deal. He did not want Ronaldo as he felt the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would destroy his squad’s cohesion.
Ronaldo was desperate to leave Manchester United after the club could only qualify for the Europa League. The 37-year-old was desperate for Champions League football and pushed hard for a move.
Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid rejected the chance to sign him.
Despite carrying on with United, tensions rose between Ronaldo and the club.
It culminated in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which the former Real Madrid star accused the club of betraying him and head coach Erik Ten Hag of not respecting him.
He called the club’s facilities outdated and claimed the club had not progressed from his previous spell.
United terminated Ronaldo’s contract, and he is now a free agent.
Even though he is on the market, most clubs will struggle to pay his wages and manage his expectations. His age and profile are also unsuitable to most managers. They are looking for willing runners.
Chelsea will not be looking at Ronaldo this summer despite their summer interest. The Blues have eyes on other targets.
They are close to securing Christopher Nkunku and have their sights set on AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
