Chelsea may have been sent an indirect warning by Manchester United about Cristiano Ronaldo, who is admired by the Blues co-owner Todd Boehly. After being handed a bit-part role in Erik ten Hag’s revolution of United, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner saw his contract terminated in November following a scathing attack on the club.
Ronaldo had initially registered a desire to leave the Red Devils in the summer after they were unable to achieve Champions League football, with Chelsea and Boehly interested in signing him. The 37-year-old went on to start only five of United's 14 Premier League games, with most of his minutes arriving in the Europa League.
Ahead of the World Cup commencing, United confirmed that Ronaldo would not be returning to the club with his contract, which was up in 2023, being terminated by mutual consent.