Britain’s richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, has approached Roman Abramovich to talk about buying Chelsea Football Club after the Russian billionaire’s future in Britain was once thrown into doubt.
Ratcliffe, 65, boss of petrochemicals massive Ineos, who is knighted nowadays in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to enterprise and investment, is understood to have presented about £2bn for the club.
It comes as Mr Abramovich, 51, struggles to renew his UK visa in the wake of Theresa May’s crackdown on wealthy Russians residing in Britain after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.
The Chelsea boss used to be reportedly incensed at not being allowed to watch his membership play in this year’s FA Cup Final on May 19 and inside days he utilized for and was granted Israeli citizenship.
Downing Street has made it clear that he cannot work in Britain on his Israeli passport, although he can visit for up to six months at a time.
Mr Ratcliffe topped this year’s Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated wealth of £21bn. Ineos’s annual turnover is about £45bn and it employs more than 18,500 human beings in 22 countries.
It is understood that Mr Abramovich has rejected the offer. Chelsea stated solely that its Russian owner – well worth around £1.3bn – remains dedicated to the club, which he bought in 2003 in a deal well worth £140m.
Mr Ratcliffe is a Chelsea season ticket holder – even though he also supports Manchester United – and already owns a football club in Switzerland. Seven months ago, he offered the Swiss membership Lausanne-Sport for an undisclosed sum as phase of his company’s dedication to nearby sport.
He owns a residence near Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge base in South-West London. The stadium used to be going to be demolished and replaced however final week Mr Abramovich introduced that the £1bn plans had been being shelved in retaliation to the hardline attitude of the Home Office.
Mr Ratcliffe’s spokesman said: ‘We can't remark on rumour and speculation.’