Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly keen to reunite with former Juventus teammate Federico Chiesa at Manchester United.
According to Calciomercato, Ronaldo is pushing the Manchester United hierarchy to make an audacious swoop for the Juventus winger next summer.
Chiesa joined Juventus from Fiorentina last year on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy. He starred for the Old Lady last season, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions. His displays powered Juventus to the Coppa Italia title although they had to settle for an underwhelming fourth position in Serie A.
The 23-year-old also earned a spot in Roberto Mancini’s squad for Euro 2020, where he scored two goals to help Italy lift the trophy.
Ronaldo witnessed first-hand what Chiesa was capable of, having played alongside him at Juventus. United have been linked with a move for Chiesa in the past, and according to agent Ivan Reggiani, the club has the backing of the Portuguese if they do decide to pursue the Italy international.
“I think there are very serious and important foreign pressures on him,” Reggiani was quoted as saying by Calciomercato. “Appreciated across the Channel [in England], he is heavily supported by Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Chiesa will not come for cheap though. Liverpool reportedly had a bid of around €100 million rejected this past summer. So Manchester United will have to shell out a fee in excess of that if they are to land the talented Italian.
Should Manchester United make a move to sign Federico Chiesa?
Manchester United have a wealth of options in attack. The Red Devils signed Jadon Sancho for a reported £73 million from Borussia Dortmund this past summer, while also bringing back Ronaldo from Juventus.
With Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood all competing for spots on the flanks, Manchester United do not lack talent in those areas. They also have the likes of Amad Diallo and Anthony Elanga on the fringes of the first team, who are more than capable of serving as backups. Thus, shelling out over €100 million for Chiesa will not represent the greatest piece of business.
Manchester United could instead use those funds to strengthen other positions as they look to bridge the gap to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on the lookout for a new holding midfielder who would be an upgrade on the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay. Declan Rice and Franck Kessie have both been linked with a move to Old Trafford, and prioritizing a move for one of those two over Chiesa would make sense from a United perspective.
