Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and the UK government have reached an agreement to proceed with the sale of Chelsea, according to reports.
This comes after the UK sanctioned Abramovich and granted Chelsea a sporting license to continue with their football-related activities, but any sale of the west London club was put on hold, with fears that they would not be able to finish the current season.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the two parties have now reached an agreement that will provide a significant boost to the Stamford Bridge club.
The UK government regards a quick sale as the best outcome for Chelsea and its supporters, but for that to happen, Abramovich would have to agree to writing off loans of over £1.5billion without receiving any of the proceeds.
But that appears to have happened, with the report claiming the Russian oligarch has instructed Raine Group, the American bank, that paused the sale after the 55-year-old was sanctioned on Thursday due to his reported links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to continue the process of completing a takeover.
A deadline of the end of next week has been set for prospective new buyers’ first bids to be submitted, with Abramovich now hoping for a quick sale and Raine Group hoping it attracts more bidders.
However, the report added that a so-called ‘domesday’ scenario is also a possible eventuality and could come to become a reality if Abramovich cannot sell Chelsea and the sporting licence is not amended to allow less stringent terms.