Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has rejected a bid to buy the club from the richest man in the UK and he is said to have no plans to sell the club anytime soon, according to reports.
Since buying the Blues in 2003, the Russian billionaire has transformed the club into one of the best in Europe. However, at the same time, his ownership of the club has been met with mixed feelings by fans of the club and many criticise him for the way in which he treats his managers. It is very hard to see coaches remaining at Stamford Bridge beyond three seasons and Antonio Conte is expected to soon be let go despite having led the club to Premier League success two seasons ago as well as to the FA Cup last season.
Recently, there was speculation that suggested that Abramovich could be open to listening to offers for the club after he delayed plans for the club’s stadium redevelopment as well as due to his visa difficulties thought to be caused by the political tension between the UK and his homeland of Russia.
Abramovich also recently obtained Israeli citizenship through his Jewish heritage, with the reason behind it thought to be to circumvent some aspects of his UK visa restrictions.
The Daily Mail have published a report which claims that Jim Ratcliffe, who is worth an estimated £21 billion, made a bid for the club. The 65-year-old Ratcliffe is the founder and chairman of chemicals firm Ineos. He is also a major fan of the Blues and season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge.
Ratcliffe does also have football interests in business, as he is the owner of Swiss club Lausanne-Sport, which he purchased at the end of 2017. The club were recently relegated from the Swiss Super League.
