Chelsea are considering a January move for Cristiano Ronaldo, say reports, after the Portuguese star was dropped by Manchester United for disciplinary reasons.
The 37-year-old has struggled for game time under Erik ten Hag and his frustration came through loud and clear when he refused to come on as a late substitute in last week's win over Tottenham, before walking down the tunnel early.
As a result, Ten Hag left Ronaldo out of his squad for Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
The incident has sparked fresh speculation about the veteran’s future, after a summer where he was unable to find a move to a club competing in the Champions League.
Chelsea were among the teams to be credited with an interest then, and the Daily Mail reports that they are again weighing up a bid ahead of the mid-season transfer market.
Owner Todd Boehly’s good relationship with Jorge Mendes, the agent of Ronaldo, could play a part.
Former Blues manager Thomas Tuchel was opposed to the move in the summer, but he has since been sacked and successor Graham Potter’s take on the potential arrival of Ronaldo is unknown.
Ronaldo has scored one goal in eight Premier League games this season, starting just twice.
United’s win over Spurs in his absence was widely praised as their best performance under Ten Hag, while the draw against Chelsea left them in fifth, one point outside the top four.
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Speculation over Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United future has intensified after he refused to come on against Tottenham in midweek, but one club have ruled themselves out of a move – and taken a dig at the superstar for his latest strop. However, Erik ten Hag wants the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to see out his contract at Old Trafford.
It has also emerged that Ronaldo didn't receive a single vote for this year's Ballon d'Or, as he finished outside the top three for the first time since 2005.
Meanwhile, United are reportedly prepared to fight it out with Chelsea and PSG to sign Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar – and have been linked with a mega-money move for Atletico Madrid and Portugal forward Joao Felix.
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