The future sale of Chelsea FC has been thrown into further uncertainty with reports claiming that current owner Roman Abramovich wants his £1.6 billion ($2 billion) loan repaid.
The Premier League giants were put on the market by Abramovich in March before the Russian billionaire was sanctioned by the UK government for alleged links to President Vladimir Putin as a response to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
A sale of the club is still possible if overseen by British authorities, with LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly’s group currently in the middle of a five-day period of exclusivity while previously earmarked as favorites to take over the west Londoners as early as this week if terms of a deal are agreed with Abramovich.
According to The Times, however, Abramovich is considering going back on his promise to write off Chelsea’s $2 billion debt to him after previously saying “I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid” when announcing that the club would be put up for sale on March 2.
Club officials told the UK government that they wish to restructure the way the club is being sold and demanded that the debt linked to parent company Fordstam Ltd is paid to a firm called Camberley International Investments based in Jersey.
“Camberley International Investments Ltd provides funding to Fordstam Ltd and its subsidiaries as required to enable the Group to continue as a going concern,” Fordstam’s latest accounts say, but it remains unclear who owns Camberley, which was established in August 2020.
Abramovich’s reported change of heart comes at a time when the consortium led by Boehly is believed to be in pole position to take over Chelsea.