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Football London
Football London
Sport
Daniel Hargraves

Todd Boehly knows what Chelsea must do about Cristiano Ronaldo transfer after contract agreement

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly could make a second attempt to bring Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge in January after reports suggested that the 37-year-old will be allowed to leave Old Trafford in the next transfer window.

According to the Telegraph, the Portuguese superstar can depart the Red Devils in the next window should a suitable offer come in with Erik ten Hag willing to part ways with Ronaldo, having worked hard to keep the frontman in the summer. It is understood that Boehly was keen to bring the 37-year-old to west London over the summer with his future in major doubt, mainly due to United's failure to qualify for the Champions League.

However, would it be a sensible move for the Blues to make a second attempt to sign the footballing icon in January with Graham Potter now in charge following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel? There is no doubt of the quality that Ronaldo still possesses at 37. The attacker shone in a gloomy season for his side last term, scoring an impressive 24 goals in 38 appearances whilst the Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to reach the latter stages of the Champions League or either domestic cup.

READ MORE: Chelsea handed huge injury boost as key trio train ahead of Champions League clash vs AC Milan

It's been a slow start to the season for Chelsea but there will be hope that new boss Potter can spearhead a revival that will see the Blues climb back into the top four over the coming weeks. However, if Ronaldo was to join in January and the west London outfit end up missing out on Champions League qualification at the end of the season, they could face the same dilemma United have had to deal with.

From the owner's perspective, it is incredibly obvious as to why Boehly would be willing to take a risk on signing the 37-year-old and paying his astronomical wages. With the commercial value Ronaldo brings to a football club, the investment will always be worth forking out the necessary funds.

Moreover, with 699 goals and 221 assists in 941 club appearances, the Portugal international is a serial goalscorer and could provide the extra spark Chelsea will need to get over the line with this season's Premier League arguably the most competitive the English top flight has ever been. Albeit Ronaldo has endured a slow start to the campaign with his sole goal coming against FC Sheriff in the Europa League, that is partly down to the fact that he has started just three matches with ten Hag keen to keep his winning side together as well as the tensions that built up during the summer.

On paper, it seems like a no-brainer for Boehly to bring the superstar to Stamford Bridge with his experience and goalscoring pedigree. However, there are also numerous risks. To still possess the quality he does at 37 is nothing short of absurd and you would have to back Ronaldo to go on for another handful of seasons. Although, there are no guarantees as to how much longer he can maintain his seismic standards and signing the former Real Madrid star would seemingly be a short-term option that could cause complications down the line.

Questions also have to be asked at Potter's ability to manage a household name of that magnitude. The 47-year-old thoroughly deserved the Chelsea job after his successes at Brighton, as well as Swansea City and Östersunds, but he hasn't got the experience of dealing with world-class players, not to mention one of, if not the best, players of all time.

When assessing Chelsea's current squad, an argument could certainly be made for another goalscorer to be added to the Englishman's squad despite another summer of big spending. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is of good pedigree but the question directed in his pathway is similar to that of Ronaldo: how much longer can he do it for?

The former Arsenal man is off the mark after a classy finish at Crystal Palace on the weekend and should comfortably surpass double-digits in the league alone. But at 33, he's not a long-term solution.

At 27, Raheem Sterling is more of that ilk and looks like he's started to settle back in his home-city with four goals and an assist in nine appearances following his move from Manchester City in the summer. Again though, the Englishman can't be solely depended on for enough goals necessary to qualify for the Champions League.

The same can be said about Kai Havertz, who has been deployed as a false nine on occasion, but has just the one goal to his name thus far.

There is no doubt that signing Ronaldo in January would instantly improve Chelsea whilst also generating serious commercial revenue for Boehly. However, having to build a team around the 37-year-old midway through a season and the long-term complications that could arise, similarly to what has happened at United, could outweigh the positives of having one of the best-ever goal scorers on the pitch.

Add that to the fact that football.london understands RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku has signed a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea ahead of a proposed move for next season, then Boehly should avoid the Ronaldo temptation when January rolls around.

READ MORE:

Graham Potter 'completes' first Chelsea transfer as £53m bid accepted and pre-contract agreed

Chelsea excited by new deal to help Todd Boehly keep his promise on next generation of talent

Heartbreaker!' – National media react to Chelsea's first Premier League win under Graham Potter

Graham Potter reveals Ben Chilwell's Chelsea role and Christian Pulisic conversation

Chelsea's next six Premier League fixtures compared to Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City

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