Chelsea lacked a cutting edge once again as they were held to a 1-1 draw by RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving Graham Potter with much to work on following his first game in charge of the Blues.
Summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to impress for a second game running despite providing the assist for Raheem Sterling’s goal, and his worrying performance may have just handed Cristiano Ronaldo another lifeline in his quest to escape Manchester United.
Thomas Tuchel's exit had already reignited some hope in the 37-year-old’s chances of joining the Blues in January, but those hopes may have increased even further after former Brighton manager Potter was told he needs an urgent fix for Aubameyang’s below-par performances.
When discussing players who were lacking confidence in the draw with Salzburg on Wednesday, former England striker Peter Crouch told BT Sport : “Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well the last few games. I think there’s a few players suffering with a little bit of a lack of confidence so that’s something he [Potter] really needs to address.”
The Gabon international is a guaranteed goalscorer at this level, but should he fail to rediscover his form between now and January, then the Blues could certainly revive their attempts to land Ronaldo from Man United if they are in need of a fresh option in attack.
The chances of this are certainly higher given that former boss Tuchel is now out of the building. The German kicked up a fuss over the signing of Ronaldo during the summer and demanded that he wasn’t bought, causing Chelsea chiefs to scrap any plans of a move.
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American owner Todd Boehly was so determined to sign Ronaldo that he held a meeting with the Portuguese’s agent Jorge Mendes in July, though a move failed to materialise due to Tuchel’s intervention.
Rejecting Ronaldo and opting to sign Aubameyang as his new striker from Barcelona instead 'angered' Boehly, as reported by German outlet BILD. But with Tuchel out the door, Boehly has every chance to rekindle a deal for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in the new year.
Boehly explained how Tuchel's sacking came after a disagreement on their respective visions for Chelsea, while Potter emerged as the Blues' priority replacement candidate, suggesting his ideas for the club are more aligned with its owners.
Ronaldo may be in the twilight of his career but there is no doubting the quality he still possesses and his goalscoring numbers speak for themselves. He made it very clear over the summer that he wishes to leave the Red Devils after admitting his desire to compete in the Champions League and challenge for silverware, and his bit-part role from the bench is unlikely to change unless Erik ten Hag is forced into rotation due to injuries.
It seems the Dutchman has already built a team that can compete without Ronaldo in their side, making it likely that the forward will jump at the chance to move in January should an opportunity present itself - with Boehly watching on with interest.
