Chelsea and Serie A table-toppers Napoli are leading the race to sign Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Sport.

The Catalan publication claims that the Portuguese international could be allowed to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer in January.

Ronaldo’s decision to walk down the tunnel before the end of the 2-0 win over Tottenham last week caused a lot of controversy and he was omitted from the matchday squad for the Chelsea fixture on Saturday.

While manager Erik ten Hag is still believed to be keen on keeping the 37-year-old around, the player is angling for a move away from Manchester as he looks for regular first-team football.

Chelsea were linked with Ronaldo in the summer, with owner Todd Boehly thought to be keen on the player, but it remains to be seen whether manager Graham Potter would be more open to recruiting him than predecessor Thomas Tuchel. Napoli, meanwhile, are reportedly looking for a striker to spearhead their challenge for the Serie A title.