Roman Abramovich has been pictured in public for the first time since the Chelsea owner saw his assets in the UK frozen. The 55-year-old still intends to sell the west London club in the near future, but the process has been made a whole lot more complicated because of the sanctions imposed on him.
Abramovich was spotted at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, dressed in very casual clothes, about to board a flight. As per the Mirror, flight-tracking websites suggest that the Russian was about to fly from Tel Aviv to Istanbul in Turkey yesterday (Monday). The pictures of Abramovich can be seen in the Mirror's story here.
Chelsea confirmed last week that they will be in close dialogue with the UK government over the next steps in the process to sell the club following the sanctions that have caused so much uncertainty over the past few days. There are said to be several interested parties in the purchase of the club.
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At the moment, the Blues are not allowed to sign or sell any players when the summer transfer window opens at the end of the season. However, the sanctions placed on the club at the moment are set to be reviewed in May - where there could be a new owner at Stamford Bridge.
The deadline for any bidders is said to be on Friday, with Sky Sports claiming there is around 200 parties interested in the club. The Saudi Media Group have reportedly made an offer to buy the club, but because of the links to Saudi Arabia, a deal is said to be 'difficult to complete'.
Meanwhile, British businessman Nick Candy has expressed his interest in his beloved Chelsea in the past few days and has reportedly held a meeting with club officials. Speaking at the weekend, Candy said this to Sky Sports: "I've supported Chelsea since I was the age of four.
"My dad was asked to play for Chelsea. I love Chelsea. I don't mind where it ends up, even if it's not with me, as long as it is in safe hands."
Todd Boehly, Hangjorg Wyss and Jonathan Goldstein's consortium are also thought to be interested and have made an offer in the region of £2billion. The Ricketts family and Robert "Woody" Johnson are also keen, with the latter refusing to comment on the speculation.
