The day Cristiano Ronaldo was turned down by a Premier League giant

Cristiano Ronaldo was closer to Chelsea than it may have seemed during his second spell at Manchester United. The Portuguese forward, now at Al-Nassr, was going through a turbulent period at Old Trafford, and Stamford Bridge emerged as a possible way out. The option took shape in 2022, during Todd Boehly's first transfer window in charge of the London club.

The American businessman, who also briefly served as Chelsea's sporting director, then met with Jorge Mendes. According to "The Athletic", Boehly was attracted by the possibility of signing Cristiano, who was in the middle of a difficult spell at a Manchester United side that had finished sixth in the Premier League. The deal was put on the table, and the name of CR7 became a central part of the new owner's plans.

Cristiano was in his second spell at United, between 2021 and 2023, an adventure that ended in failure. In that context, Boehly saw the opportunity to bring one of the world's biggest football stars to London and tried to push through the signing. The final word at Chelsea belonged to Thomas Tuchel, the Blues manager and winner of the Champions League a year earlier.

Tuchel shut the door on CR7

The German coach stopped the deal. According to "The Athletic", Tuchel "made his firm opposition to any agreement for the Portuguese forward very clear on several occasions". His stance ended up blocking Cristiano's move to Stamford Bridge after Boehly had already explored the move with Jorge Mendes.

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