Why Manchester United might have to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Chelsea

Manchester United's stance remains that Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale this summer, but the club may have to relax that if the forward is so adamant that he wants to leave. The club's failure to qualify for the Champions League is just one of the reasons that the Portuguese striker wants to leave as he feels that, even with the appointment of Erik ten Hag, the club are not matching his ambition.

The issue is that despite Ronaldo's reputation, there are only a limited number of clubs that can afford to sign him and an even smaller number that actually want to. Reports had emerged that Jorge Mendes had offered his client to Bayern Munich, but on Wednesday their director Oliver Kahn stated: “As much as I appreciate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest players, a move would not fit into our philosophy.”

So while it would be preferential for United to sell to a club outside the Premier League, it's looking more likely that the only realistic potential destination is Chelsea. Reports claim the London club's new owner Todd Boehly was weighing up a move for the forward as he looks to mark the start of his new era.

And if Chelsea want to sign him, then United should let him go. The obvious fear is that Ronaldo will go to Chelsea and improve the side and prevent United from reaching the top four next season, but there is clear evidence that points to the contrary.

Though United's second-place finish in the 2020/21 season could be considered slightly misleading due to covid-19 circumstances, the points tally is still something we can work with. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the club earned 74 points across the season and after signing Ronaldo they only earned 58 points in the 2021/22 season — not the desired impact.

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