A year ago
After meeting with Todd Boehly, Chelsea hopes to appoint Cristiano Ronaldo as the next manager of Manchester United.
Todd Boehly has long coveted Cristiano Ronaldo, with the superstar attacker's choice for Manchester United manager potentially influencing who becomes the next Chelsea manager.
Cristiano Ronaldo has already stated his preference for Chelsea manager, with the superstar remaining a transfer target for Todd Boehly.
Blues owner Boehly is looking for a new manager after firing Graham Potter on Sunday night. Since replacing Thomas Tuchel, the Englishman had only won 12 games, and Chelsea had fallen into the bottom half of the Premier League.
Boehly, who now wields the axe over Potter, found that unacceptable. A number of names have been linked with the job at Stamford Bridge, with former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann regarded as the frontrunner.
However, Boehly may want to consider former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique as a possible replacement. This is due to Ronaldo's support for his candidacy for the Manchester United manager's job after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in November 2021.
The star attacker wanted the Spaniard to take over, even preferring him to Zinedine Zidane. Ronaldo and Enrique clashed several times during their LaLiga careers, with the latter enjoying great success at Celta Vigo and Barcelona.
He led Barcelona to the treble in his first season in charge, then repeated the feat the following year and won the Copa del Rey twice more before leaving the Nou Camp. He rejoined the Spanish national team after a year away.
Enrique led La Roja to the Euro 2020 semi-finals, but he stepped down after a disappointing exit in the World Cup's last 16 last year. Nonetheless, it is likely that Ronaldo still holds him in high regard.
And that could have an impact on Boehly, who was interested in signing Ronaldo both last summer and in the winter. Boehly has a reputation for making headlines in the transfer market.
Signing Ronaldo would certainly meet that brief, with Boehly going so far as to meet with the superstar's representatives as he pushed for a move away from Manchester United. Last summer, the Blues' owner met with Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, for talks.
Though Chelsea's interest did not materialize, it is likely that Boehly would still be interested in signing him given the Blues' struggles this season. Ronaldo is currently with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after an acrimonious departure from Manchester United.
While he is reaping the rewards of one of the most lucrative contracts in football history, Ronaldo's new club has fallen behind Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League title race.
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