Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has turned to his friends for financial aid amid sanctions placed on the Russian business owner, according to reports. It comes as the 55-year-old looks to sell the Blues.
Abramovich was one of a number of people sanctioned by the UK Government in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the report claiming he has close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abramovich has always denied that he is close to Putin.
The Chelsea owner was, however, part of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine last month. Following the freezing of his assets, Chelsea were placed under a special sporting licence that allowed them to operate, but only under footballing circumstances. At first, the Blues were not allowed to sell tickets or merchandise, along with a number of other restrictions, some of which have since been eased.
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The Russian businessman is now looking to sell the club, with a number of bids placed to take over at the helm. With current sanctions, he would not receive any of the money from the sale, which looks to be around the £2-£3billion mark.
With his assets frozen, Abramovich has taken a financial hit, something that the Sun reports is hitting hard. The report claims that the Chelsea owner has asked friends of his to loan him $1million (£765,000) each, though it is believed that no one has agreed to it yet.
Given the staff he employs, it has been claimed Abramovich has to pay £600,000 a week in wages. However, a spokesperson for the Russian told outlet City AM that those claims were false.
