With Cristiano Ronaldo dominating the transfer rumors after asking to leave Manchester United, two eye-catching reports regarding the Portuguese icon have made it to the headlines recently.
The first is in relation to Chelsea, the only Premier League club who has substantially been linked with a move for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Given that the 37-year-old's desire to leave Old Trafford stems from the Red Devils' lack of UEFA Champions League football and inability to challenge for major silverware this upcoming season, a move to Stamford Bridge would seem like a viable option.
The Blues are in need of a reliable goalscorer after the disappointment from the likes of Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku while Ronaldo can – more likely – achieve his aspirations with the Blues in 2022/23. However, are Tuchel's men keen on landing the Real Madrid icon?
While Todd Boehly in an admirer of Cristiano, this decision was always going to boil down to the German head coach as his say would be the final say. According to the Athletic, Tuchel has made the all-decisive decision and that is not to pursue the superstar attacker.
The London giants are set to spend big this summer, but the bulk of their funds will be directed at wingers and defenders, with Raheem Sterling having joined the club while Napoli center-back Kalidou Koulibaly is set to undergo a medical before signing for Chelsea.
What does this mean for Cristiano's future? While the 37-year-old is keen on challenging for major silverwares, according to CNN Portugal, the all-time top scorer in men's international football has a mega-money offer from none other than Saudi Arabia.
The report claims that an unnamed club from the Middle East wish to bring him to the oil-rich nation and are willing to pay a whopping $299M to land Ronaldo. This lucrative two-year offer includes an astonishing $124M-per-year salary and a noteworthy $30M transfer fee that would be deposited to Manchester United's bank account, which is more than what they paid to Juventus to sign the player last summer.
Additionally, Ronaldo's representative Jorge Mendes will also get paid a handsome $24M if he facilitates this move to Saudi Arabia. While it's an offer most would find hard to turn down, given that Ronaldo's goal is to challenge for major silverware in his final few years at the top of the game, a move to the Middle East seems highly unlikely.
