Chelsea to relaunch Cristiano Ronaldo interest as new coach Graham Potter eager to please Boehly

Chelsea may now rekindle their interest in signing Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window, according to a report.

The future of the 37-year-old at Old Trafford was in doubt over the summer. He appeared to be pushing for a transfer elsewhere as he missed most of the club’s preseason games. The choice to seek alternative employment was reportedly motivated by the absence of Champions League action.

The Portugal captain wanted to leave but stayed at the Theatre of Dreams. The former Real Madrid star will sit on the sidelines for most of the upcoming campaign thanks to Erik ten Hag.

He has played in five Premier League games as a substitute and one start. Ronaldo has played in seven games across all competitions but has yet to score a goal for the 2022–2023 season.

During the summer, Chelsea was mentioned, with new owner Todd Boehly reportedly eager to sign the legend as a marquee player. Thomas Tuchel, the Blues manager at the time, opposed the idea and ultimately prevailed, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arriving in its place.

The German has since been fired, and Graham Potter has taken over as manager of Stamford Bridge. According to Fichajes, the former Brighton chief will adopt a different stance than his predecessor and make a January bid to test the waters.