Turkish billionaire Mohsen Bayrak has become the latest bidder to buy English club Chelsea, in a process that reports expected to be worth about $4 billion.
Russian Roman Abramovich offered Chelsea club for sale last Wednesday evening, in a move that came after increasing pressure on him due to his association with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently leading a Russian attack on Ukraine.
Bayrak, general manager of the AB Holding Group, which specializes in construction, energy and technology, revealed that he had made an offer to buy the club, and said, "We can categorically confirm that we have submitted an offer to buy Chelsea."
The billionaire, whose total value is estimated at 10 billion euros, added to the Turkish newspaper, Yenisafak, "We are in the process of negotiating the terms of the purchase of Chelsea with Abramovich's lawyer (...) We made an offer, confident that the talks will lead to an agreement, we will raise the flag Al-Turki will soon be in London (...) We expect to sign soon."
Türk iş insanı Muhsin Bayrak, Premier Lig devi Chelsea'yi satın almak için Rus milyarder Roman Abramovich'e teklif verdi.
Bayrak: "İmzalar için pazarlık aşamasındayız. Türk bayrağını yakında Londra'da dalgalandıracağız." https://t.co/Fu6maCA53T
— Yeni Şafak (@yenisafak) March 4, 2022
And press reports have confirmed that an investment alliance led by American Todd Boley and Swiss business magnate Hansorg Weiss is also negotiating to buy Chelsea.
Metal magnate Abramovich bought the London club in 2013 for about $186 million, and press reports expected the sale to reach about $4 billion.
Abramovich said he would not seek repayment of loans he made to the club, reportedly worth about $2 billion, and asked his aides to set up a charitable foundation that would receive all the net proceeds from the sale.