Chelsea ready to hurt Man Utd as Glazers facing difficult Cristiano Ronaldo dilemma

Manchester United are looking to sack Cristiano Ronaldo.

Posted Sunday, November 20, 2022 by Express.co.uk

Chelsea are reportedly prepared to sign Cristiano Ronaldo if the forward is sacked by Manchester United following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan. The striker did not seek authorisation for the interview from the club, and his comments have rustled plenty of feathers.

It is no secret that Ronaldo has been desperate to leave Old Trafford since the summer transfer window opened earlier this year. However, despite the best efforts of his agent Jorge Mendes, no clubs came forward with concrete offers that could tempt United to allow their club legend to leave once again.

Chelsea were amongst those to hold talks about Ronaldo, with owner Todd Boehly particularly keen to secure his signature and mark his arrival at Stamford Bridge with a significant signing. Though then-manager Thomas Tuchel put a pause on those plans and felt it was not the correct addition to his team.

But, according to The Mirror, now that the German boss has departed, the Blues are preparing to reignite their interest in the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and are lying in wait, hopeful that United will follow through with their plans to sack the forward. The Old Trafford outfit were prepared to let Ronaldo leave in January, though his public criticism of the club has only accelerated those plans.

Chelsea ready to hurt Man Utd as Glazers facing difficult Cristiano Ronaldo dilemma

The Red Devils are taking legal advice on whether they have the grounds to sack the 37-year-old, though are fearful that he could strengthen another top Premier League outfit that is also competing for Champions League football. Thus, they are in a tricky Catch-22 situation where they must weigh up just how important each factor is – with Ronaldo’s £500,000-per-week wages also a key consideration heading into the January transfer window.

Many United fans will be hopeful that Ronaldo’s departure concluded his unsuccessful homecoming, though that may not be the case. The club are also believed to be weighing up whether to launch a lawsuit against the former Real Madrid star for his damaging comments about the club.

Though Mike Treemer, Employment Partner at law firm Fladgate, feels that Erik ten Hag’s side may fail to succeed with the lawsuit. He explained: “Most legal commentators now agree that United would be entitled to terminate Ronaldo’s contract following his recent behaviours – including his provocative interview with Piers Morgan. However, few would have predicted that they would go further and allege that his conduct has caused the club financial loss that they are entitled to recover from him.

“Employers pursuing such claims against employees is very rare because it is usually very difficult to prove that a financial loss has been suffered and to directly link that loss to the employee’s actions. In most cases, the high legal costs to be incurred coupled with the employee’s likely inability to pay any substantial damages will deter employees considering such a claim. But Ronaldo clearly has the means to pay up if United were to be successful. It is likely that the club will also be considering if third parties have encouraged Ronaldo to breach his contractual obligations – in which case they can also be pursued for the loss suffered.

“No doubt that was considered carefully by Morgan and Talk TV before they broadcast the interview. If any claim is pursued, the media attention and publicity is likely to considerably overshadow that received by the Wagatha Christie trial earlier this year.”