IF Luiz Felipe Scolari is serious about toppling Manchester United from their throne, his first act as Chelsea boss should be to make a move for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Alex Ferguson is already throwing his toys out of the pram at the prospect of losing his star player to Real Madrid this summer.

So I can only imagine what his reaction will be to the realisation that Ronaldo is now in daily contact with the new Blues chief.

Fergie will hate the idea of Scolari and Ronaldo working together as part of Portugals campaign to win Euro 2008.

Confirmation that Big Phil is heading to Stamford Bridge the minute the Championships are over can only increase Fergusons paranoia.

It is safe to assume that Roman Abramovich has promised Scolari the financial backing to sign any player in the world as part of his brief to turn Chelsea into European champions.

No one will be beyond his budget and there is no better player right now than Ronaldo.

With Abramovichs fortune at his disposal, Scolari can outbid anyone for a star who has served him so well at international level these past five years.

If he could get his hands on Ronaldo, it would be a magnificent statement of intent. At the same time, it would deliver a devastating blow to United.

Ferguson, of course, will never allow it to happen. He would rather sell Ronaldo to Madrid than let him join Uniteds biggest rivals.

Yet even the whiff of interest from Chelsea will increase the likelihood of Ronaldo leaving Old Trafford.

If, as seems increasingly likely, Ronaldo hands in a transfer request, it would make perfect sense for United to get as much money as they can and to sell to the highest bidder.

It looks, though, like the players heart is set on a move to Real Madrid. Anywhere else and he would look like a complete bull**** merchant.

Ferguson, naturally, is determined to keep Ronaldo and make him honour his contract. If he says no move, there is nothing the wing wizard can do about it except sulk.

But there is nothing worse than having an unsettled, demotivated player in the ranks. Scolari knows that, just by expressing an interest in Ronaldo, he can throw a very large cat into Uniteds pigeon loft.

That would be only the start of what promises to be an explosive war between the new Chelsea boss and his United counterpart.

For, make no mistake about it, Scolari is the real deal. He knows exactly what is expected for his £5million a year and has the knowledge and expertise to deliver.

He definitely fits Abramovichs bill in terms of the quality and style of attacking football his teams play.

The 4-3-3 formation he utilises with Portugal is perfect for the talented squad he will inherit at Chelsea.

Some he will keep, others he will sell to make way for new signings.

He is getting the best goalkeeper in the world and a very solid back four. Now it is just a case of arranging his midfield and forwards.

With Portugal, he uses Petit and Moutinho as holding midfielders. That allows Deco to get right forward and play just behind the striker.

It would not surprise me to see him sign someone like Spains Antonio Senna to play the holding role and push Michael Ballack into the Deco role. Or he could just buy Deco.

The Scolari system also relies on two very good wingers, which is where Ronaldo would come into the equation.

Tactically, Scolari is very sound. He knows his job, is good at working with world-class players and has a track record which inspires respect.

He won the World Cup and two South American Championships with Brazil and has turned Portugal into one of the best teams in the game in recent years.

He is also a very strong man, who will not be intimidated or back down from confrontation. He strikes me as the kind of fella who likes to get his retaliation in early.

The only drawback I can see is the fact his English is not great.

Fabio Capello made it one of his priorities as England manager to learn the language as quickly as possible.

Scolari will not have as much time for the lessons he will need. Even so, he is walking into a multi-national dressing room and needs to get his message across straight away.

If Scolari overcomes the language barrier, there is nothing to stop him delivering all Abramovich wants and more.

He is not the sort of bloke to stand for boardroom interference and, as long as the owner is getting the results and the football he is seeking, the manager will be left alone to make the decisions.

Scolari knows exactly what he is letting himself in for. He realises second place will not be good enough.

The Brazilian has the pedigree and capabilities to deliver the Champions League for Chelsea. Do not bet against him.