The sale of Chelsea has hit a ‘serious obstacle’ after reports that Roman Abramovich will demand to be repaid his £1.6bn loan to the club.
Chelsea are understood to have informed the government of their intention to restructure the way the club is sold, which would include paying off a debt to Fordstam Ltd, a company which ‘appears to be linked’ to the West London side’s current owner.
Given the current sanctions placed on the Russian billionaire there are concerns over this request and the situation is a ‘serious obstacle’ to a takeover being completed, with the consortium led by Todd Boehly, the co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, currently the frontrunner to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Boehly’s consortium has been informed that it had been given a five-day period of exclusivity as preferred bidders.
The Times are reporting that the government had expected all proceeds from the sale to be handed over with the funds distributed to charitable causes bringing aid to Ukraine.
Abramovich released a statement outlining his intention to sell Chelsea in March, in which the 55-year-old insisted he would not ask for any loans to be repaid.
“The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process,” his statement said, as per the club’s official website.
“I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid. This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and club.”
