Cristiano Ronaldo is said to have a topic of conversation when new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly met with super agent Jorge Mendes.
Erik
ten Hag has already given Chelsea an ultimatum regarding the future of
Cristiano Ronaldo, with the 37-year-old heavily linked to an exit from Old
Trafford. Todd Boehly met the Manchester United striker's agent
Jorge Mendes to discuss a potential swoop for the
Portuguese star, according to The Athletic.
It's said that Ronaldo, who sees his contract with the
Red Devils expire in just 12 months, is increasingly disgruntled at the lack of
transfer business that United have conducted thus far,
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 last week, it's believed that Ronaldo's future was among several topics discussed amid his uncertain future at United. Whether
or not Chelsea make a move for the talisman remains to be
seen, however Ten Hag
has already sent a hands-off warning to potential suitors.
Speaking after his final game in charge of Ajax
last month, Ten Hag said: "From tomorrow (Monday), my focus will be on
United, and I will of course get deep into things there.
"What I have to say about it is, the detailed analysis still has to
begin, I still have to work with the team, but let me be clear that at United
there are a lot of good players around. We have to make them function as a team
but definitely Ronaldo, he is a giant."
In another interview with De Telegraaf, Ten Hag
added: "Ronaldo is a giant, because of what he’s already shown and I think
he’s still very ambitious. Of course, I would like to keep him. He’s been very
important to Manchester United this year and can produce great
statistics."
Ronaldo featured 30 times for United in the Premier League last season,
directly contributing to 21 goals. His impressive displays guided the Red
Devils through patches of unfortunate form, though not enough to secure
Champions League qualification.
Despite the rumours, Ronaldo is
expected to report back for pre-season with United next month. Meanwhile,
Chelsea are yet to resolve Romelu Lukaku's future, whose time at Stamford
Bridge seems to be coming to a close.
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