Chelsea are preparing to make Manchester United an offer of £14 million to sign Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, according to reports.
The 37-year-old wants to leave Old Trafford after just one season following his switch from Juventus prior to the 2021/22 season.
He made 37 appearances last term, scoring 24 goals and registering three assists, but that wasn’t enough to guide Man United to Champions League qualification.
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Now under the management of Erik ten Hag, they will play Europa League football and that has played a huge factor in Ronaldo’s desire to leave.
Ronaldo wants to play at the highest level for the remaining few years of his career which has fuelled his decision to look for a departure.
United returned to pre-season this week but Ronaldo has yet to show up due to ‘family reasons’ and remains in Portugal.
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The club unsure if he will travel with the team to Thailand for their pre-season tour.
Chelsea have been linked with the Portuguese star. Co-owner Todd Boehly held a meeting with his agent last month and the possibility of signing Ronaldo was discussed among other subjects, and he is open to bringing him to west London.
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A final decision was to be left to head coach Thomas Tuchel to learn his verdict before any bid was considered.
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Now, according to reports by Pete O’Rourke/Football Insider, Chelsea are now preparing a £14 million bid to submit to Manchester United.
As per Neil Custis of The Sun, Ten Hag’s side are willing to let Ronaldo go this summer, accepting defeat and don’t want his future to be drawn out over the summer, potentially distracting the squad in their preparations for the 2022/23 season.
Chelsea are on the hunt for new forwards this summer following the departure of club-record signing Romelu Lukaku, who returned to Inter Milan after joining for £97.5 million last summer.
They agreed personal terms with Raheem Sterling, it was confirmed on Wednesday (6 July).
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A transfer fee is hoped to be agreed in the next 24 hours to seal his arrival before they head to the United States for pre-season on Saturday.
United are reluctant to sell Ronaldo to Chelsea because they see Tuchel’s side as a direct rival for 2023-24 Champions League qualification.
They would prefer to sell him abroad to avoid strengthening a Premier League rival, but Ronaldo is claimed to be open to a move to Chelsea.
He is ready to take a considerable pay cut to make a move in order to continue achieving his sporting ambitions.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea, Manchester United
Matthew Debono