Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak says he is "negotiating signatures" to complete the acquisition of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich. The billionaire has claimed that a deal has been struck with only a few more details left to be sorted.
Abramovich put the Chelsea up for sale this week amid intense scrutiny into his supposed relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A consortium headed by Todd Boehly and Hansjörg Wyss were believed to be early favorites but the new development suggests that their offer to purchase the London club may be overlooked.
On Friday, Turkish billionaire and the general manager of AB Group Holding Muhsin Bayrak took the first steps in purchasing the Premier League club. He subsequently confirmed his interest with a profound statement to Turkish outlet Yeni Safak saying: "We are discussing the terms of Chelsea's purchase with Roman Abramovich's lawyers. "We're negotiating signatures. We will soon fly the Turkish flag in London."
Earlier, a spokesperson for added to speculations that he is the frontrunner in the race to buy Chelsea. Speaking to the Guardian in the UK, he said: "Yes, we definitely confirm. We have forwarded our offer regarding this to them."
According to the Daily Mail, the Chelsea owner's private jet flew to Turkey on Wednesday, and he may have potentially discussed terms with Muhsin Bayrak during the trip. A deadline of 15th March for potential buyers has already been set, although bids of up to £2.5billion are said to have already been rejected by Abramovich. The 55-year-old Russian businessman is said to be holding out for an amount close to £4 billion, with the full proceeds set to go to all victims of the war in Ukraine.
