Since the change of ownership, Chelsea have rarely gone out and signed big-name superstars. Instead, the club have completely focused on signing youngsters from around the world. Talents that are projected to develop into world-class players in the future.
As a result, it always felt wildly speculative to me when rumours emerged that Chelsea were interested in a potential move for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend has seemed a bit unsettled at Al-Nassr lately. And reports suggested that the Blues felt signing him would be a great deal commercially.
Of course, any such move would completely go against the transfer model in place at Stamford Bridge. Ronaldo is 41 years old. His salary would not fit the structure. And he has not exactly performed at the highest level for a while now.
Ronaldo ended up losing his spot in the Portugal starting XI at the World Cup in 2022. And at EURO 24, he was one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament. Is that who Chelsea need right now? Well, as it turns out, that might have never been part of their thought process.
Fabrizio Romano comments on Ronaldo to Chelsea transfer rumours
Fabrizio Romano has provided some clarity on the Ronaldo to Chelsea rumours lately. It is what most would have suspected when the speculation first emerged in the media.
While speaking on the rumours on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “That’s completely fake news, obviously. Nothing at all between Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea. I don’t think that we needed to clarify.”
Ronaldo to Chelsea rumours rubbished as ‘fake news’ by Fabrizio Romano
Well, that is the end of that. And if you ask me, it is for the better. Any move for Ronaldo, at this point in his career, would be a step backwards.
Someone like Ronaldo would not come in to sit on the bench. He would want a decent bit of playing time, at the very least. Can he compete at the Premier League level at 41 years of age? If the performances from his past two major international tournaments are anything to go by, we would be very sceptical.
Also, Ronaldo seems to have set a 1000-goal target for himself over this past year or so. And if he wants to reach that, staying put at Al-Nassr might be the best path forward for him.
In this prime, or even seven or eight years ago, Ronaldo would have been a very good signing for Chelsea. They have not had a consistent goalscorer since Diego Costa. Well, the Portuguese icon guarantees goals. He has almost a thousand of them. That being said, in 2026, that ship has long sailed.
