Real Madrid Transfer News: Chelsea's Cristiano Ronaldo Move Makes Little Sense

From either club's perspective, a midseason move for Cristiano Ronaldo would be nonsensical for Real Madrid or Chelsea to consider, but that hasn't prevented the Blues getting their wheels in motion.

The Portuguese will allegedly be the subject of a £60 million offer from Jose Mourinho's side in January, according to the Daily Star's Chisanga Malata, who writes:

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The Blues have set aside a staggering £60m to try and lure the Portuguese international away from the Bernabeu. Ronaldo, 29, has been heavily linked with a move away from the Bernabeu in recent weeks, and reports have suggested that the former United star has fallen out with Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.

That news has prompted United to prepare a £55m bid the former fan favourite, who scored 118 goals in 292 appearances for the Red Devils.

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The claims raise a number of questions and sticking points that could prevent such a deal, the main of which is the timing of said transfer.

Both clubs have been drawn up as favourites for their Champions League groups, with Chelsea facing Schalke, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor in Group G, while Real have to face Liverpool, Basel and Ludogorets Razgrad in Group B.

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As a result, one would think each outfit will be involved in the round of 16, scheduled to kick off in February, and Ronaldo not being able to feature in a second half of the European campaign would appear a massive obstacle in itself.

Another stumbling block is the player's allegiances with Manchester United and whether or not he'd be willing to join an English rival in the future. Malata quotes Ronaldo as recently proclaiming: "I love Manchester. Everyone knows that - I have said it many times. Manchester is in my heart. I left many good friends there, the supporters are amazing and I wish I can come back one day."

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As long as the Red Devils are willing to compete with their west London foes in a financial sense, Old Trafford would almost undoubtedly be Ronaldo's preferred destination if he is indeed to leave the Bernabeu.

Irrespective of how bright things currently seem for Mourinho's resurgent Chelsea, United hold a deep connection with Los Blancos' talisman and would be more readily prepared to fit him into their line-up, too.

Some will also argue the figure mentioned as being incredibly low given Ronaldo's stature, a price of £60 million significantly lower than the €114 million Metro alleged the forward as being worth earlier this year:

Upon Gareth Bale's move to Real last year, Scottish broadcaster Graham Ruthven suggested Ronaldo's actual value as being more than £100 million; since then, he's signed a contract extension, bumping up his cost further:

By all means, Real are in no rush to sell, either. Only when the player's desire to leave becomes a public issue and a potential deterrent for the squad as a whole will Ronaldo's sale be something Los Merengues open up to.

After all, this is the world's in-form superstar we're talking about, and despite the horde of other world-class talents, selling Ronaldo without an instant replacement at hand may not be an option for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

But Ronaldo isn't a prisoner. No matter how successful he's been or will go on to be in the Spanish capital, his time as a Madridista will come to a close one day, whether it's through retirement or a sale the only uncertainty.

On the face of things, it may seem ludicrous for Real to consider the departure, but just as they might lure talent to their shores, they can also fall victim to the same selling issues of smaller clubs. They're not invulnerable to seeing their stars wish to exit.

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Chelsea's riches may make it seem as though any target is within their grasp as far as finances can tell, but even with the necessary figures accounted for, this is one move that would appear impossible to facilitate.

Perhaps come the end of the 2014-15 campaign those circumstances will have changed, but for now, it's little more than a pipe dream.