Chelsea tipped to complete Declan Rice move as Cristiano Ronaldo drops Real Madrid transfer hint

All the latest Chelsea transfer news and gossip ahead of the January window including updates on Graham Potter’s mission to sign a midfielder, Cristiano Ronaldo and Declan Rice

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts during the Portugal Press Conference on November 21, 2022
Ronaldo drops Real Madrid transfer hint as Chelsea tipped to complete Rice move

Your morning Chelsea transfer round-up on Thursday, December 15.

McKennie targeted
Chelsea have locked horns with Tottenham in the race to sign Juventus star Weston McKennie, according to reports. The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for some time now.

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, he caught Graham Potter’s attention at the World Cup and the Blues have now ready to rival Spurs for his signature. The Blues are said to be in the market for a new midfielder amid the increasingly uncertain futures of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, who both see their deals at Stamford Bridge expire at the end of the season.

The duo will be eligible to begin pre-contract talks with foreign clubs in January over respective free transfers in the summer. The likes of Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Moises Caicedo have been heavily linked with moves to west London but McKennie has emerged as the cheaper alternative.

Ronaldo hint
Cristiano Ronaldo has dropped a huge hint on his future amid the search for a new club. The 37-year-old striker was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea on a number of occasions before he and Manchester United parted company.

According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Ronaldo has returned to Valdebebas, the Real Madrid training complex. The report states that Los Blancos gave him permission to train on a different field to the one which Carlo Ancelotti uses with the first-team.

It’s said that Ronaldo looked to return to the Spanish capital in the summer – whether that had been with his old side or Diego Simeone’s team – but neither club was interested.

Rice prediction

Former West Ham United defender Glen Johnson believes current captain Declan Rice needs to leave to ‘kick on’ in his career and has tipped him to join Chelsea. The midfielder’s future as a Hammer is a constant subject of speculation, with Chelsea one of many clubs interested in landing his signature as early as January.

“I don’t want him to but he needs to move if he wants to kick on in his career,” Johnson told GGRecon. “I think he will end up at Chelsea because he has a soft spot for the club and he knows a number of the lads there. However, you can never know where he will go because he will have a lot of options.”