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William Gallas has questioned why Chelsea did not sign Cristiano Ronaldo after his sour departure from Manchester United in 2022. The pundit believes the Portuguese superstar would've been a great addition to Mauricio Pochettino's squad.
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford for a second stint in 2021, 12 years after he left the club to join Real Madrid. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had an excellent run in the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 24 goals across competitions.
Ronaldo then fell down the pecking order after Erik ten Hag's arrival in the summer of 2022. In the middle of last season, he featured in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan, where he took shots at Ten Hag and the club's owners.
Manchester United subsequently terminated his contract, leaving the Portugal captain without a club. Chelsea were linked with Ronaldo before his lucrative move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr.
Given the state of the club's current options in attack, Gallas believes the Blues made a huge mistake not pursuing the Portuguese forward. The former Arsenal star told Genting Casino (via Metro):
"Chelsea made a mistake by not signing Cristiano Ronaldo. He was available to sign and Chelsea would have been a good club for him."
He added:
"Everyone knows how important Ronaldo can be in the dressing room, he brings a winning mentality and it could have benefited the squad. It was a mistake by Chelsea."
Chelsea's main man in front, Nicolas Jackson, has scored 12 goals in 31 games so far this season. However, he has come under criticism for missing chances this term.
"Come on, just shut up!" - Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf slams Cristiano Ronaldo for claiming Saudi Pro League is better than Ligue 1
Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has laid into Cristiano Ronaldo for his comments regarding Ligue 1, urging the Portuguese forward not to speak ill about other leagues.
Ronaldo aimed a dig at the French top flight in January, claiming that the Saudi Pro League is more competitive. He said:
"They can say whatever they want, it's just my opinion and I played there one year so I know what I'm talking about. But I think right now we are better than [the] French league, we still improve."
The former Real Madrid star's comments did not sit well with Leboeuf, who claims Ronaldo took a shot at the French top flight because Lionel Messi played in it with PSG.
He said (via Football365):
“It annoys me when I hear Cristiano Ronaldo saying that the Saudi Pro League is better than Ligue 1. Why do you think he chose to make that comment about Ligue 1 rather than the Portuguese League?"
"It’s because Lionel Messi played in Ligue 1. I have lots of respect for him as a player but come on, just shut up! It is unfair to Ligue 1.”
The Blues have been in turbulent form under Mauricio Pochettino this season, sitting 11th in the Premier League table, 16 points adrift of the top four. They secured a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United in their league fixture on Monday night (11 March).
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is enjoying life in the Middle East. He has scored 29 goals and provided 11 assists in 32 games for Al-Nassr this season.
