Cristiano Ronaldo could prove to be the perfect replacement for Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea, with the Manchester United striker said to be eager to leave Old Trafford this summer. According to The Athletic, Todd Boehly met the 37-year-old striker's agent Jorge Mendes to discuss a potential swoop for the Portuguese star.
It's believed that Ronaldo, who sees his contract at Old Trafford expire in just 12 months, is increasingly disgruntled at the lack of transfer business that United have conducted, with no arrivals as of yet. The report adds that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has already been offered to Bayern Munich, though the German giants have baulked at the proposal.
With Boehly having met with Mendes in Portugal to discuss Ronaldo's future, the American billionaire could have earned the west Londoners an advantage in acquiring his services having now reportedly asked to leave Old Trafford. The Times say that the striker has asked United to respect his decision should the Red Devils receive a 'satisfactory offer'.
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Ronaldo's decision is said to be driven by his desire to play in the Champions League, with Erik ten Hag set to guide United into the Europa League this season. While Chelsea look well positioned, whether the Blues make a move for the talisman remains to be seen.
Nonetheless, Tuchel is keen to bolster his strike force this summer and the Portugal international would certainly be an improvement upon Lukaku, who struggled to acclimatise to the Premier League upon his return. Lukaku found the net 17 times in 44 appearances and his misfortune in front of goal cast doubt over his future, before a loan move to Inter sealed his fate.
With Boehly reportedly keen to welcome a-list signings to earmark the start of a new era and the Chelsea boss looking for fire-power this summer, Ronaldo could soon work his way onto the club's radar in west London. So we, football.london, looked at how the Blues' front-three could look next season, should Ronaldo arrive at the Bridge.
3-4-3
The 3-4-3 has been synonymous with Chelsea since Tuchel took the helm at Stamford Bridge. And, with Ronaldo in the side, the Blues can - naturally - pose a greater threat with the United striker in place of Lukaku.
Ronaldo's aerial threat would be perfect with the deliveries from Ben Chilwell and Reece James armed and ready. However, the striker's notorious lack of pressing would contradict Tuchel's philosophy, though.
4-3-3
A 4-3-3 is a formation that Ronaldo has flourished in recent years. While the Portugal international would take up a wider role on the team sheet, as he did under Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, he'd likely drift inside as a second striker and open up space for Chilwell to run into.
3-4-1-2
This formation was trialled and tested on several occasions by Tuchel at Chelsea last season. Though not too dissimilar to the 3-4-3, Mount has relished the number ten role and Havertz would grant Ronaldo a sense of freedom regarding his choice of movement.
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