Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues uninterested in Cristiano Ronaldo; club favourites to sign Rafael Leao, and more - December 15, 2022
Chelsea will resume their season by welcoming Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge later this month. Graham Potter's side are eighth in the Premier League after 14 games.
Meanwhile, journalist Dean Jones has said that the Blues are not interested in Cristiano Ronaldo. Elsewhere, Jones has also said that the London giants are leading the race to sign Rafael Leao.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on December 15, 2022:
Chelsea uninterested in Cristiano Ronaldo, says Dean Jones
Chelsea will not turn to Cristiano Ronaldo despite Armando Broja's recent injury, according to Dean Jones. The Portuguese is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United last month by mutual agreement. The Blues were interested in his signature this summer, but a move did not materialise.
The London giants have been linked with the 37-year-old once again recently. Graham Potter is expected to invest in attack to address the absence of Broja, who's ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Ronaldo has emerged as a popular choice for the role, with his agent Jorge Mendes working overtime to get him a new club.
#Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has trained at Real Madrid sporting center Valdebebas in the last hours — on a separated pitch 🚨⚪️ #Ronaldo
As revealed by @relevo/@hugocerezo, Cristiano’s just working there to keep his form thanks to great relationship with the club, waiting for new chapter. https://t.co/mrbFneIPkt
However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Chelsea want to avoid panic moves and won't consider the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"Jorge Mendes has tried pretty much everything he can to find Ronaldo a new top club, but the options just aren’t opening up. Chelsea, even with a spot up for grabs with the Broja injury, still seems unlikely because it would feel like a panic move and everything I’m told says they are trying to avoid that," said Jones.
Ronaldo ended the 2022 FIFA World Cup with one goal from five games, with Portugal losing 1-0 to Morocco in the quarterfinals. The 37-year-old didn't start both knockout games.
Blues favourites to sign Rafael Leao, says Dean Jones
The Blues are leading the race to sign Rafael Leao, according to Dean Jones. The Portuguese forward has put clubs on notice with a series of outstanding performances for AC Milan. The player's contract with the Rossoneri expires n 2024, but he's yet to agree an extension.
Chelsea are preparing an offer for Rafael Leao. https://t.co/t5mqBPScuf
The Blues are among the clubs fighting for his signature. Graham Potter remains eager to upgrade his attack after a poor showing so far, and Leao is on his wishlist. Speaking to Give Me Sport, though, Jones said that Milan are desperate to keep the 23-year-old at the club.
"Chelsea have great interest in Leao, and there is some hope over landing him, especially after he briefly followed them on social media the other day! But Milan are so desperate not to lose him right now because replacing him will be hard," said Jones.
He added:
“Chelsea are the frontrunners, though, if this opens up. We will have to see how this goes over the next couple of weeks.”
Leao has appeared 20 times across competitions this season for the Serie A giants, amassing seven goals and nine assists.
Chelsea retain interest in Ousmane Dembele
The Blues have reignited their interest in Ousmane Dembele, according to Fichajes via Caught Offside.
The French forward has been outstanding for Barcelona this season, registering five goals and seven assists in 20 games. Dembele has also caught the eye with Les Bleus at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, helping his team reach the final. The Blues are planning to take him to Stamford Bridge.
The London side were interested in the player earlier this year, but Dembele opted to extend his stay at the Camp Nou. His new contract reportedly has a €50 million release clause that Chelsea are planning to exercise. Graham Potter is unimpressed with his options in attack, and Dembele would be an upgrade on the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic.
Potter has asked the Blues to secure the signature of the 25-year-old, who looks to have shed his injury woes.