Thomas Tuchel quickly wrote himself into Todd Boehly's bad books after he supposedly blocked a move which would have seen Chelsea sign Cristiano Ronaldo. The 38-year-old was heavily linked with an exit from Manchester United in the summer before leaving Old Trafford with immediate effect in November.
An explosive TV interview with Piers Morgan was the final straw for Erik ten Hag — and the Red Devils hierarchy. United were said to have been 'furious' after Ronaldo's attack of the club caught them by surprise, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner claiming that he felt betrayed.
The Red Devils sought legal advice and the Portugal international was subsequently allowed to leave as a free agent. Naturally, a handful of the World's richest clubs were linked with Ronaldo — one of which being Chelsea, after Boehly met with super agent Jorge Mendes in the summer.
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football.london understand that the Blues sounded out a move for the veteran in July, with the striker eager to ply his trade in the Champions League. According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, Tuchel was a primary 'roadblock' in negotiations when Boehly tried to sign Ronaldo in the summer.
Instead, the Portuguese star eventually joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr in December. And, some old comments from Edinson Cavani have come to light again and they could offer an explanation as to why the former Chelsea boss was so insistent on not allowing Ronaldo to join.
Speaking in May of last year, as quoted by the Mirror, the former United striker said: "Knowing a bit about the world of football these days, the first thing I did was call my brother [Walter Fernando Guglielmone, who also acts as his agent] and said: 'Fernando, if this had happened a week ago, I would ask you to find me another club.'
"But not because I didn't want to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. No. Because I had the opportunity to know him, and he is a great professional, with his targets, and that is perfect for a sportsman.
"But as I know, after years in football, how things work these days. That's why I spoke to my brother. It was more about understanding the situation.
"Not because I couldn't play in my role at Manchester, but because there are many things in football nowadays that are different from how they were with other people, how it was before, years ago. And since it happened suddenly, I felt nothing. I thought: We'll play, do the best we can."
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