Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel provides update on pursuit of Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has played down Cristiano Ronaldo links, claiming that sorting out their defense is the Blues' primary goal right now. Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals in 38 games across competitions for Manchester United last season, will be out of contract in June 2023.

On the brink of missing out on Champions League football for the first time in almost two decades, United star Ronaldo is reportedly (via Fabrizio Romano) keen to leave the club this summer.

The player’s agent has been looking to find suitors for the 37-year-old superstar, and Chelsea are reportedly (via GiveMeSport) one of the teams in contention for the Portuguese's signature.

Following Romelu Lukaku’s loan move to Inter Milan, the Blues are a bit lightweight in attack. Tuchel, however, does not see it as a priority, claiming that it is their defense that needs immediate attention.

When asked to comment on the Ronaldo saga, the German coach told Sky Sports (via Romano):

“I would not rule out signing another striker, but it’s not our priority. The priority right now is our defence, it's not a secret.

“We lost top players and so now we need to replace them.”

Chelsea lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen earlier in the summer, with the central defenders joining Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, as free agents.

The Blues are on the verge of signing (via Romano) Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, but are seemingly in the market for more defenders.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer would be a gamble for Chelsea

Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 18 Premier League goals in the 2021-22 season, is still one of the most prolific forwards in the division. However, he might not be the perfect fit for Tuchel’s well-oiled machine.

The Portugal skipper is a hard worker, but does not contribute as much to the press as his peers. Chelsea rely heavily on winning the ball back up top, and his reluctance to press could turn out to be a problem for the Blues.

Additionally, Ronaldo is one of the biggest personalities in football. It is difficult to predict how well he will settle into Chelsea’s rather young dressing room.

Buying Ronaldo could go a long way in solving the west Londoners’ goalscoring problem, but we are afraid it might not amount to anything more than a risky, stop-gap solution.

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