Lord of the Dance
Roman Abramovich has reportedly put Chelsea up for sale with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss approached to buy the club
Sport

Roman Abramovich has reportedly put Chelsea up for sale with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss approached to buy the club

CHELSEA'S RUSSIAN owner Roman Abramovich is reported to have put the club up for sale as pressure mounts from the UK government to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs in the UK.

Abramovich bought the club in 2003 and according to The Dailymail has instructed American bank the Raine Group to handle the sale of one of his most prized assets

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, worth £4.3bn, claims he has been approached to consider buying Chelsea, potentially as part of a consortium.

The 86-year-old made his fortune with Synthes USA, a medical device manufacturer.

The reported price for the club set by Abramovich has been set at £4bn.

Wyss was speaking to Swiss newspaper Blick about the approach from the club and said that the Chelsea owner is in a panic to sell all his assets due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

'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.

'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.’

Last week Abramovich sought to give ownership to Chelsea to the club's charitable foundation trustees in an attempt to distance himself from the club.

Now the UK's Charity Commission has contacted the Stamford Bridge club for information about the move.

It was also reported by the Mail that Abramovich is also trying to sell his portfolio of London properties.

The Russian owns a 15-bedroom mansion at Kensington Palace Gardens, valued at more than £150 million and a £22m three-storey penthouse at the Chelsea waterfront.

As pressure mounts on the Chelsea boss, one of his employee's Thomas Tuchel, the Chelsea manager snapped at reporters yesterday after being asked about the situation in Ukraine.

The German a frustrated figure said"

"It's too much for me to answer. I am not aware of the details and the whole situation.

'There are situations, like war, that are so much more important than football, this will never change. Situations like war are so much more important.

'The role of Mr Abramovich is not on me to comment because we don't know enough about it.'