ROMAN Abramovich is ready to sell Chelsea Football Club, according to leading business figures.
It comes as the Prime Minister was again urged to impose sanctions on the oligarch following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has claimed he has been given the chance to buy Chelsea, and is preparing a consortium to submit an offer for the Stamford Bridge club. An American-based merchant bank is understood to have contacted potential buyers, claiming to represent the Blues in a potential sale.
Chelsea have not responded to Wyss’ claims or suggestions that the west London club could now be sold.
Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich is understood to want to retain his ownership of Chelsea. But that could effectively prove close to impossible should the UK Government impose sanctions on the 55-year-old, who has owned the west London club since 2003.
The 86-year-old billionaire Wyss has admitted he will look into the details of any possible deal to buy Chelsea, with the asking price thought to push beyond £2billion.
“Abramovich is trying to sell all his villas in England, he also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly,” Wyss told Swiss newspaper Blick.
“I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.
“I have to wait four to five days now. Abramovich is currently asking far too much.
“You know, Chelsea owe him £2 billion. But Chelsea has no money.
“As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price.”
Abramovich attempted to step back from the daily running of Chelsea on Saturday, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine The Blues boss has tried to hand the “stewardship and care” of Chelsea to the club’s charitable foundation trustees.
That led the Charity Commission to contact the Stamford Bridge club for more detail on Abramovich’s plans, after several of the trustees raised concerns over technicalities.
Labour MP Chris Bryant has called for the UK Government to impose sanctions on Abramovich after a number of Russian oligarchs have already fallen under such penalties.
Abramovich is understood to have attempted to hand control of Chelsea to the foundation trustees in a bid to protect the club.
The Chelsea owner would not receive any protection from sanctions through stepping away from daily control at Stamford Bridge.
Abramovich’s spokesperson told the PA news agency on Monday that the Russian-Israeli businessman was attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Swiss billionaire Wyss, who founded medical device firm Synthes USA, insisted he could only consider a deal for Chelsea with a clutch of investment partners.
“I can well imagine starting at Chelsea with partners,” said Wyss.
“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.”
At PMQs, Labour leader Keir Starmer pressed Boris Johnson to sanction Abramovich and a former deputy prime minister to Vladimir Putin.
The Labour leader said more action is needed from the UK to “stand up to Putin and those who prop up his regime”.
Johnson would not comment on individual cases but insisted measures being brought forward to expose the ownership of properties will “continue to tighten the noose around Putin’s regime”.
He added that a “full list of all those associated” with the Russian president’s regime will be published, and later told MPs: “I do hope that those who have any links with the Putin regime whatever, any so-called oligarchs … take this opportunity, as some brave individuals already have, to disassociate themselves from this barbaric invasion.”
A spokesman for Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich has previously claimed he is attempting to broker peace following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Starmer told the Commons: “We must stand up to Putin and those who prop up his regime.
“Roman Abramovich is the owner of Chelsea Football Club and various other high-value assets in the United Kingdom. He’s a person of interest to the Home Office because of his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices.
“Last week, the Prime Minister said that Abramovich is facing sanctions. He later corrected the record to say that he isn’t. Well, why on earth isn’t he?”
Johnson said it is not “appropriate” for him to comment on individual cases at this stage.
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