Conor McGregor has been told he doesn't have enough money to buy a football club amid interest in purchasing Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.
McGregor has generated a huge fortune from his career in the UFC and was ranked as the richest sportsman in the world last year aftr earning an incredible $180 million. The Irishman has previously expressed his interest in buying a football club, including Scottish side Celtic and Manchester United.
However financial expert Kerian MacGuire believes the UFC superstar has earned a terrific fortune and could be the forefront of a club if an acquisition somehow materialised. “McGregor might be front of the house as far a consortium is concerned,” MacGuire told Football Insider. "He doesn’t have the resources himself, but he does make a fortune out of his own brand.
“I don’t think he would be advised to buy Celtic or another football club alone, it would have to be as part of a group. However, he would be the public face and centre of attention if such a deal was to take place.”
McGregor is a self-confessed Man United fan but with uncertainty currently swirling around the future of Chelsea, he quickly took to social media to express his interest. A whole host of bids are expected to be placed for the Blues with the deadline set for Friday.
Abramovich has valued the club at around £3billion with any potential owner likely to oversee the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge. UFC star McGregor tweeted after news broke: "I wish to explore this, Chelsea" in response to a picture of a WhatsApp message from an unknown contact which read: "Chelsea for sale, £3bn. Let's buy it".
Do you think Conor McGregor would be a good suitor for Chelsea? Let us know in the comments section below
Several bidders are understood to be considering a bid before the deadline with Nick Candy expected to make an official offer alongside an offer from a consortium based of tycoon Todd Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, who are currently considered one of the frontrunners to land the European champions.
Twenty parties are understood to be keen to take the helm in West London including a friend of former US president Donald Trump, Woody Johnson who is the latest to throw his hat in the ring. The Blues are currently operating under a strict licence implemented by the British government after Abramovich was sanctioned and his assets frozen.
Chelsea have also faced a mass exodus of sponsors who have suspended their relationship with the club including mobile network Three and car manufacturer Hyundai. McGregor previously claimed he was interested in buying Celtic when he said: "A conversation came up regarding Celtic first to be honest.
"To acquire shares from Dermot Desmond. I am certainly interested in acquiring a sports team at some stage! Both Celtic and Man United are teams I like for sure. But I am open. I feel I could do big things for a club."
