What’s the story? Cristiano Ronaldo is in line to move from Real Madrid to Chelsea. The Daily Star reported that Ronaldo has told club President Perez he is ready to leave in the summer.
Don Balon reported that he believes his former employers Manchester United are unable to afford him and that Chelsea will be his destination. He has requested that his Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes grants him his London move.
In case you didn’t know…
Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo left his position at the club. For a long time he has bought and sold players for the club. He is yet to be officially replaced by the English champions, but super-scout Luis Campos is likely to take up a similar role at the club.
Marina Granovskaia will expand her role at the club to work on January transfer targets, but the Times reported that the former Monaco director Campos is top of Chelsea’s list to replace Emenalo.
With speculation about his own future, it is unlikely that Antonio Conte will have any say in Ronaldo’s potential move.
The heart of the matter
The world player of the year is said to be ready to leave the Spanish capital, a move to London his preferred choice.
Real Madrid have made a slow start to the season after back-to-back Champions League tournaments but it is unlikely that is the fuel for transfer speculation.
(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Ronaldo started at Sporting CP at the age of 12 and was spotted by the then Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Moving to England at the age of 18, he spent six seasons at Old Trafford and left for a then world record transfer fee of €94 million ($A146 million).
Currently in his ninth season in Spain, the Portugal captain, who is closing towards the end of the career, feels it is time to return to the Premier League
Ronaldo played at home to his potential new employers for Manchester United on 11 January 2009. Ronaldo has had a relatively poor record against Chelsea, scoring just 1 in 14 games. However, that goal was one of his most important in the 2008 Champions League final.
My take
With Conte’s future still an uncertain an no such replacement for Emanolo clear, it would seem unlikely that Chelsea would go for such a high profile transfer.
However, if Chelsea were to hire Portuguese Campo, it could go some way to encouraging both Ronaldo and his agent Mendes to move to Stamford Bridge.
It has been speculated that Ronaldo has been on his way back to England for as long as he has been away. Most often Manchester United has been the likely destination, with rumours not materialising.
In the past speculation has led to a new contract at the Bernabéu, and I don’t see this as being any different. Furthermore, if the star were to move to England I could only see a return to Manchester United as a real possibility.
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