Will Chelsea sign Cristiano Ronaldo?

FT Desk

• 24 Nov 2022 07:56 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wanted to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, and now the Portuguese superstar is on a free transfer following his release by Manchester United.

Ronaldo signing, or lack thereof, was a point of contention between Boehly and Thomas Tuchel in the summer.

Although the American has been keen to implement his "Vision 2030" at Chelsea - the signing and refining of young players who would remain an asset by the end of the decade - the acquisition of arguably the most marketable athlete in the world appealed to him.

READ: Revealed: How much Man Utd paid Ronaldo for each goal he scored

Tuchel pushed against the move from a tactical point of view, but was sacked and replaced by Brighton's Graham Potter as head coach a matter of weeks later.

Ronaldo, whose value per Football Transfers' in-house algorithm was €23 million at the time of his release, would have cost a fee in the summer transfer window, but now wages would be the only issue for potential suitors.

Currently on World Cup duty with Portugal, the 37-year-old was released by United, reportedly by mutual agreement, after a blistering interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised the Glazer ownership, Erik ten Hag's management and more.

READ: Five struggling stars who need a big World Cup

All signs would seem to point Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge after the competition in Qatar, but Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law, for one, doesn't believe it.

Chelsea have 'no plans'

"As of now, Chelsea have no plans to try to sign Cristiano Ronaldo," he posted to his nearly half a million followers on Twitter. "I don't expect that to change but I've learned to never say never in football."

Chelsea could use a striker this season. The Blues are only eighth in the Premier League and their top scorers are Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling, who have three goals each.

Whether Ronaldo is the man to plug that gap remains to be seen.