"I am sure that Mendes will insist again with Chelsea" - Fabrizio Romano says Cristiano Ronaldo's agent will have a plan amid reports of Manchester United exit 

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is likely to persuade Chelsea again on a possible transfer for his client.

The 37-year-old forward is looking for a new club as he's unimpressed with the club's transfer activities and their absence from the UEFA Champions League next season. The Blues are among several teams linked with the attacker.

However, manager Thomas Tuchel is reportedly not keen on bringing in Ronaldo, which has caused the rumors to cool off. However, there could be a U-turn on the German's and the club's stance.

Timo Werner's recent comments about a potential return to RB Leipzig have plunged his Chelsea future into uncertainty. Should he leave, the west London side will be in the market for an attacker.

Romano feels the Ronaldo saga might not be over yet. Despite several clubs distancing themselves from a move for Ronaldo, he could still end up away from Old Trafford, possibly at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking on the Que Golazo podcast, the Italian journalist said (via football.london):

"We know they have been offered a chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. It's something that Jorge Mendes discussed with Chelsea, but Thomas Tuchel said no 10-15 days ago. He didn't want to proceed on this opportunity, so I'm sure that Mendes will insist again with Chelsea, Bayern (Munich) and Atletico Madrid until the end of the market but at the moment, it is still like this."

Bayern saw Robert Lewandowski leave for Barcelona and could make use of a prolific goalscorer like Ronaldo, but their CEO Olivier Kahn has played down the move for Ronaldo.

Atletico are the surprise potential suitors here, given their long-standing rivalry with the player's former club Real Madrid. Ronaldo has made 37 appearances against Atletico, scoring 25 goals.

There were recent reports of Los Rojiblancos offloading Alvaro Morata to bring in the Portuguese superstar.

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Ronaldo returns to Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo has been conspicuous in his absence from Manchester United's recently concluded pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner returned to Old Trafford last evening (Monday, July 25).

According to journalist David Ornstein (via Fabrizio Romano), the Portuguese ace will speak to new manager Erik ten Hag, who wants to change the player's mind about an exit from Manchester United.

The Dutchman has said that he sees Ronaldo as an important part of his squad next season, while Manchester United have also reiterated that the superstar is not for sale this summer. It'll be interesting to see how this saga pans out in the next few days.