Todd Boehly has been handed a huge boost in his mission to sign Cristiano Ronaldo at Chelsea. The 37-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer as the striker sought an exit from Manchester United.
football.london understand that the Blues sounded out a move for the Portugal international in July, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner eager to ply his trade in the Champions League. And, according to ESPN, Ronaldo was open to a move to Stamford Bridge.
Despite Boehly having laid the foundations to complete a deal after meeting with super agent Jorge Mendes, former boss Thomas Tuchel was against the idea so a move ultimately failed to materialise. With new management in the dugout, it remains to be seen as to whether Graham Potter would be open to the idea of signing Ronaldo, who sees his contract at Old Trafford expire in the summer.
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If it is revealed that Chelsea do want to sign Ronaldo, then the club have been handed a huge boost after Diego Simeone played down speculation that a move for the striker is on the cards. Speaking to Martin Liberman, as quoted by Atleti Universe, the Atletico Madrid boss said: "Cristiano Ronaldo’s possible arrival at Atlético de Madrid in the summer?
"The little birds [journalists] told you anything far from what has happened - people speak sometimes to tell what they want to tell, not reality," the Argentinian added. "Ronaldo is an absolute benchmark for Real Madrid.
"I wouldn’t see [Martín] Palermo or [Juan Román] Riquelme playing in River or [Ariel] Ortega in Boca. There are situations that are very clear."
Simeone continued as he recalled when a fan asked him to sign Ronaldo during pre-season. He said: "A fan yelled at me in a preseason game, without knowing anything about what was happening but because of the rumours, a great phrase: 'Cholo, be careful, the Champions League is not at all costs'.
"I liked it because it is a very healthy reflection, from a fan, from the heart and reflecting what I felt at the time, beyond not denying Ronaldo’s story."
Then, when asked whether Ronaldo's potential move to Atletico would be comparable to Luis Suárez’s, Simeone replied: "It is not the same as Luis Suárez’s arrival if Cristiano Ronaldo had arrived."
After Tuchel seemingly turned his nose up at the chance to sign Ronaldo, Boehly might make the same proposal to Potter...
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