Roman Abramovich has set an asking price of £3bn for Chelsea with eight billionaires having been ‘sounded out’ over purchasing the Premier League side.
Abramovich is expecting to welcome offers for Chelsea in the coming weeks as pressure grows on the billionaire, amid the threat of sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sky News are reporting that the Russian’s advisers at The Raine Group are expected to issue letters to prospective bidders this week with a deadline for offers set for mid-March.
Abramovich released a statement at the weekend confirming that he would be handing over “stewardship” of the west Londoners to trustees of the club’s charitable foundation, following the scrutiny he has faced amid alleged links to Vladimir Putin.
However, there is a sense now that the 55-year-old will be forced into a sale amid the threat of sanctions and his 19-year ownership of the west Londoners will come to an end.
Abramovich is understood to have rejected an offer of £2.5bn from an unnamed bidder this week with his price for Chelsea set at £3bn. The Blues are indebted to the Russian for a figure of £1.5bn, a sum which will be included in a potential sale.
Abramovich purchased Chelsea for a fee of £140m in 2003 and has since invested huge sums to turn the club into regular challengers for silverware, with no English club having won more trophies since his arrival in the Premier League.