DUBAI: Prominent businessman Javed Afridi is reportedly in the race to buy Chelsea football club after owner Roman Abramovich placed it up for sale.
A Dubai-based daily quoting a Spanish sports website reported that Javed Afridi is in the race to replace Abramovich as Chelsea’s owner after the Russian billionaire put Chelsea up for sale as pressure mounted after Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Javed Afridi, owner of Pakistan Super League franchise Peshawar Zalmi, is reportedly interested in buying one of the biggest football clubs in the world. A source confirmed to the newspaper that a meeting had already taken place.
“Afridi’s team held a meeting this afternoon (Wednesday) with a sports and legal agency in the UK. There’s a bunch of investors who are interested in Chelsea Football Club,” the source said. “They believe it’s the right time and opportunity to invest in football. And someone from Asia should come and invest. They are in negotiation with them right now.”
Afridi and his group of investors are likely to face stiff competition from Swiss billionaire Hansjoerg Wyss who claimed to have received an offer from Abramovich.
READ MORE: Russian tycoon Abramovich puts Chelsea football club up for sale
Roman Abramovich said he would sell Chelsea Football Club, 19 years after buying it, and promised to donate money from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine. In a statement, he sai a sale was in the best interests of the reigning European and world soccer champions.
“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners,” he said.
He has told his aides to set up a charitable foundation which would receive all net proceeds from the sale. “The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine,” Abramovich said in a statement. “This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.”
Abramovich said the decision to sell had been incredibly difficult. Swiss business tycoon Hansjoerg Wyss told a newspaper that he was considering buying Chelsea from Abramovich.
Abramovich bought the West London club in 2003 for a reported 140 million pounds and his investment contributed hugely to the most successful era in the team’s history as they won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League twice.
