Jermaine Pennant encourages Chelsea to agree to terms with Ronaldo instead of Man city forward
Jermaine Pennant, a former Liverpool winger, believes Chelsea should sign Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo instead of Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling. The Blues are expected to sign a top-tier attacker this summer, after their frontline struggled with goals and creativity in 2021-22.
Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Timo Werner combined for 14 Premier League goals. Romelu Lukaku has also joined Inter Milan on a season-long loan.
According to 90MIN, manager Thomas Tuchel believes his team will sign Raheem Sterling, who has been one of the league's most consistent forwards in recent years. In each of his last five seasons, he has scored at least ten goals.
Meanwhile, Pennant believes Chelsea has many players who are similar to Sterling, such as Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic. As a result, they might be better off with a goal scorer like Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 18 league goals for Manchester United last season, helping the club finish sixth, and could be the ideal replacement for Lukaku.
"It's difficult because you only have what you've got. You've heard rumors that Ziyech might be leaving, and you've got Pulisic. They're all the same, Mount players like Sterling." Pennant told talkSPORT.
He continued:
"And I think what you missed the most last season was goals, so if you've got a Ronaldo who was, it's fair to say, in a mediocre United team and scored 18 or more goals, having him in your team, even if you get the same amount, will go a long way and push you up a gear. So, I know he's 37, but look at the stats and goals. Ronaldo, in my opinion, would be a better signing than Sterling."
According to The Times, Ronaldo has submitted a transfer request to United because he wants to play in the UEFA Champions League next season. In the last two decades, he has never missed a competition.
The Red Devils were unable to qualify for Europe's elite competition last season. According to Republicworld, the club has yet to make any statement signings this summer, frustrating Ronaldo about the club's ambition and transfer strategy.
Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to be sold by Manchester United to a direct rival such as Chelsea. Last season, the Blues finished third in the Premier League but were unable to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City for the title due to a lack of goals up front. With the addition of a goal-scorer like Ronaldo, they could be a title contender next season.
Furthermore, under new manager Erik ten Hag, United will go through a transition period. They will, however, want to keep their best players. Despite being in his forties, Ronaldo was one of their best players last season, scoring 24 times across competitions.
As per ESPN, Manchester United will not entertain offers for the 37-year-old. The Red Devils expect the forward to see out the remainder of his contract, which expires next summer.
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