Chelsea owner Todd Boehly reportedly held talks with Jorge Mendes over the possible transfer of Manchester United veteran Cristiano Ronaldo.
That’s according to The Athletic as David Ornstein claims Ronaldo among the subjects discussed at the meeting.
The respected journalist adds that United expect Ronaldo to stay, with one year left remaining on his current deal.
I think it’s fair to assume that Ronaldo is unhappy with how things went last season. The Portugal international doesn’t want to be playing in the Europa League or with a side that isn’t competing for domestic honours.
Something will need to change next season.
However, a move to Chelsea would raise questions over his legacy in Manchester.
With Boehly inexperienced in the football market and trying to act as a sporting director, we can expect a lot of meetings like this to take place.
Mendes may well have other clients of interest to Chelsea.
SN’s verdict
United were not expecting Ronaldo to depart this summer, so it would be a huge blow for their summer plans if they now need to switch their attention to a centre-forward.
That is something United want to focus on next year. Not now.