Chelsea Transfer News: Cristiano Ronaldo Hopes Grow, Latest Blues Rumours

Rafa Benitez's potential appointment as Real Madrid manager will "increase" Chelsea's chances of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star.

Anderson cites Matt Law of the Telegraph when suggesting Benitez will utilise Gareth Bale as his "key man" at the Bernabeu, perhaps by playing him in a central role. This is likely to have an impact on Ronaldo, who has a tendency to start on the left and move into the middle, potentially aiding a return to the Premier League for the Portuguese star.

"Sources in Spain even claim that Benitez may be prepared to sell Ronaldo, and not Bale, if he cannot successfully incorporate both players into his Real team," writes Law.

Interestingly, B/R UK's Garry Hayes believes Chelsea should be targeting Bale instead:

Anderson suggests Chelsea and Manchester United are considered "front-runners" for Ronaldo if he becomes available for transfer, although Paris Saint-Germain are also likely to be involved, per Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC:

Ronaldo enjoyed his only Primera Liga win under Jose Mourinho's tutelage at the Bernabeu, so he could be interested in linking up with his compatriot once more. His connection to United is obvious—he remains a legend at the club he fired to Champions League glory in 2008—and has long been touted to one day reappear at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

PSG would represent a new challenge for the 2015 Golden Shoe winner, who racked up 48 goals in La Liga as Madrid finished second to Barcelona this campaign. Laurent Blanc's team have established their era of dominance with three consecutive Ligue 1 wins and are now looking to conquer Europe.

Chelsea finished the Premier League season eight points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City but will also be looking to improve in the Champions League. This starts with a handful of world-class additions in the summer.

The club's pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, per Anderson, looks to have become far more complicated, with reports Bayern Munich are also interested in the prolific Frenchman.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

As tweeted by Bundesliga writer Clark Whitney, Chelsea could face competition for the player's signature:

Mourinho is likely to invest in attacking reinforcements, such is the extent of Diego Costa and Loic Remy's fitness issues. With Didier Drogba now once again gone, the Blues need to secure a reliable goalscorer who perhaps isn't bothered about spending time on the bench.

Then again, both Ronaldo and Griezmann would likely knock Willian out of the team, but only if they are able to maintain the excellent balance Mourinho has instilled. Either would be a tremendous, headline-grabbing signing, but both still appear far off at the current time.