Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich could make a move for Christiano Ronaldo in order to keep manager Antonio Conte at the club, according to a report in the Sunday Express.
The newspaper revealed that Abramovich won’t be concerned about the goal-a-game forward’s £150million price tag, as long as it ensures that Conte will remain at the helm of the club.
The Russian is said to be keen to show the Blues’ boss that the club can spend big this summer, in the hope that Conte will stay and help retain the Premier League title.
The Sunday Express claim that the Blues could use winger Eden Hazard as bait for Ronaldo, 32, given that Real have previously been interested in the Belgian.
However, the Belgium international remains injured with a broken ankle for the next few months, which wouldn’t be appealing to the Spanish giants.
Earlier in the week Ronaldo sparked rumours of an exit from Real Madrid over allegations of tax fraud, and Chelsea are the latest club to be linked with the Portuguese star.
According to the report, bosses at the Bernabeu are said to be asking for a record fee of £150 million for the former Manchester United striker.
The Portuguese international signed a new contract with the club in November, and the report claims that his Madrid contract has a staggering £870 million buy out clause, which could see the goal-machine be worth over a whopping £1 billion.
The Ballon D’or winner showed his worth last season for the club after he netted an impressive 42 goals during his 46 Madrid appearances.