With Abramovich on his way out, Chelsea’s next owners could be a Saudi consortium
Chelsea Football Club is reportedly the subject of a £2.7bn offer from Saudi Media Group.
Outgoing Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government last week having already confirmed his intention to sell the club following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Though there has been plenty of interest in the club since it became clear that Abramovich was open to a sale, the bid from the Saudi group appears to mark a significant step forward.
The consortium is fronted by Mohamen Alkhereiji, a Chelsea supporter and CEO of Saudi Media’s parent company, Engineer Holding Group, which was founded by his father, Abdulelah Alkhereiji.
I can confirm Saudi Media Group have made a £2.7bn ($3.5bn) offer to buy Chelsea. Mohamed Alkhereiji is a Chelsea fan and leading a private consortium. No direct government links.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 14, 2022
As highlighted by journalist Ben Jacobs, the group has no direct links to government – despite posing alongside Mohammed bin Salman in the photo below.
Non-government linked Alkhereiji here with MBS last month 👍🏻 https://t.co/1WNAU1CQTm
— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) March 14, 2022
It was reported last week, when talk of Saudi Media Group’s interest in Chelsea first surfaced, that the consortium would be committed to redeveloping Stamford Bridge, along with the club’s academy and training facilities for both men and women’s teams.
Any potential sale would cap a turbulent few weeks for Chelsea, with the future of the club plunged into uncertainty by events in Ukraine.
Calls for Abramovich to be sanctioned over his relationship with Vladimir Putin quickly grew, prompting him to hand over stewardship of the club to its Trustees. The move changed very little, however, with Abramovich confirming his decision to sell the club soon after.
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