After 19 years in charge, Roman Abramovich's ownership over Chelsea looks to be coming to an end.
The Russian oligarch has come under heavy scrutiny over the past few days in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine, with the billionaire's alleged ties with Vladimir Putin being the point of concern for many in the UK. In fact, some members of parliament have called for his assets to be frozen, which would likely include the Premier League giants.
Initially, Abramovich attempted to step back from his day-to-day role at Stamford Bridge, announcing that he would hand over the stewardship and care of the club to the trustees of Chelsea's charitable foundation. However, this hasn't gone down well as it wouldn't protect the club from sanctions, while there is hesitancy from the aforementioned trustees to accept this arrangement.
As a result, the Chelsea owner has now decided to put to club up for purchase. This is according to several reputable sources, namely the Daily Mail and the Telegraph, as they claim the Russian billionaire desires a quick sale of the Premier League giants.
As reported by Nizaar Kinsella of Goal, while the club have not confirmed this, they are also no longer denying a potential change in ownership as they were a few days ago. In fact, sources at Stamford Bright speculate that the Russian oligarch is planning "a total exit from the UK economy", meaning a sale of the Blues and all his properties.
The current owner reportedly wants a minimum of £3BN, which translates into roughly $4BN, meaning several potential suitors will be priced out. As a result, there is a growing belief that an American buyer backed by a hedge fund is the easiest route to get this deal done.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss confirmed that Abramovich is desperate to get rid of the Premier League side and was thus offered the opportunity to buy the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup holders. However, the 86-year-old, worth a reported £4.3BN, admitted that he alone would not be able to purchase the club and would need a consortium consisting of six to seven investors.
"Like all other oligarchs, he (Abramovich) is also in a panic. Abramovich is trying to sell all his villas in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich," Wyss said, as per the Daily Mail.
"I have to wait four to five days now. Abramovich is currently asking far too much. You know, Chelsea owe him £2bn.
"As of today, we don't know the exact selling price. I can well imagine starting at Chelsea with partners. But I have to examine the general conditions first. But what I can already say: I'm definitely not doing something like this alone. If I buy Chelsea, then with a consortium consisting of six to seven investors."
During Abramovich's 19-year spell in charge, Chelsea won a total of 21 titles, the most recent being their FIFA Club World Cup triumph in the UAE. All but one of their six English top-flight trophies came under his ownership, with the team also becoming the first London outfit to win the UEFA Champions League, having triumphed first in 2012 before last year's victory over Manchester City.
