According to Spanish media outlet, Don Balon, Cristiano Ronaldo prefers a move to Chelsea over Manchester United, who are not completely sold on the idea of signing the veteran. The future of Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu is highly uncertain after reports came out that the 32-year-old was spotted in the United Kingdom looking for suitable living quarters and top private schools for his son.
Ronaldo has allegedly fallen out of favour with club president, Florentino Perez over his wage structure, which is not at par with his adversary, Lionel Messi. The Portuguese international demanded his release clause of £900m be reduced to £90m and is ready to quit the La Liga.
Ronaldo just won the FIFA Best Player Of The Year and his fifth Balon D’Or award and has stated that the past two seasons have been the best of his career so far. He has finally matched Messi on the count of individual honours and has declined talks of slowing down due to his age.
However, judging by his recent performances in a Madrid outfit, it seems like fatigue and reduced athletic abilities seem to be taking over. Ronaldo drew a blank against Celta Vigo last night and has scored just 4 goals in 16 league appearances.
After two title-winning seasons, the Los Blancos fans expected their side to continue their European dominance ahead of rivals Barcelona, but are currently struggling in the fourth spot of the points table. Whether it is complacency or exhaustion, nobody can strictly pinpoint the real reason for their drop in performance.
The fans at Old Trafford always expected their wonderboy to return to Manchester someday and finish his career there. When speculating about his future over the past couple of years, a probable return was never ruled out and always seemed like a plausible option.
However, times have changed and it looks like £90m for a 32-year-old is high loyalty fee to pay at such an important juncture of the club’s history. It took years and huge chunks of cash to bounce back to domestic and European trophy contention after the departure of Alex Ferguson. Although Jose Mourinho would like nothing better than to reunite with his compatriot, the tactician’s hands might be tied over this situation.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are very likely to lose Eden Hazard in the summer if not in January itself. The Belgian has reportedly declined a contract extension in hopes of becoming a Galactico and might draw in a record-breaking transfer fee. This might allow the Blues to meet the asking price for Ronaldo and field him up front ahead of an inconsistent Alvaro Morata.
