Chelsea star has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo
Photo: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images

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Arsenal legend Paul Merson has likened Chelsea star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 37-year-old Portugal captain has been in the news for walking out of the team before the end of United’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham.

“Cristiano Ronaldo storming down the tunnel and even leaving Old Trafford early is a big thing for Erik ten Hag now – in fact, it is huge,” Merson told the Daily Star.

“You don’t walk down the tunnel during a match, it’s just a no-go. I did it once before away at Huddersfield in the cup and I don’t think I played again for two months.

“Mine was slightly different as the tunnel was right next to the dugout, so it was only an extra five seconds but Ronaldo’s was a walk and a half.

“Surely along the way his brain says to him, ‘this isn’t right, you’ve been around far too long to do this’.

“Given he also threw a strop after being subbed against Newcastle, this has now become a real statement sequence of events.

“It’s almost like the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

“There were a lot of young kids at the game on Wednesday that look up to one of the greatest players to ever play football and they will be watching it with the mindset of ‘if he can get away with that, we can all get away with it’.

“I think this now works perfectly for Ten Hag. He’s had a right result because it’s his chance to stamp his authority on the dressing room. He can throw down the gauntlet to the rest of his young players and make it clear that he is the man in charge.”

Todd Boehly is a huge fan of Ronaldo who has been linked with a transfer to Chelsea in January. However, it’s yet to be seen if Graham Potter would sanction such a move.