Most Seen: See Why Abromovich £2.5bn price tag on Chelsea as he plots record sale

Most Seen: See Why Abromovich £2.5bn price tag on Chelsea as he plots record sale 

Roman Abramovich puts £2.5bn price tag on Chelsea as he plots record sale

News emerged on Sunday that the Russian businessman, who was denied a new visa to enter the UK back in May, had put Chelsea up for sale and was actively looking for a buyer – though the club denied the reports.

 Now The Times claims Abramovich has even set an asking price, and will demand at least £2.5bn, a sum that would make any takeover the biggest of a football club in history.

The Russian has reportedly hired US investment bank Raine Group to seek interest from investors in China, the US and Middle East. They are the same specialist that helped Manchester City sell a 13% stake in the club to Chinese investors, and have a long association with Chelsea.

Abramovich’s £2.5bn valuation would more than treble the previous most expensive takeover in football history when the Glazer family bought Manchester United for £790m.

Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is believed to have made a £2bn offer earlier this summer, which was rejected.

Abramovich will only sell if his price tag is met, and that would make Chelsea the second-most valuable Premier League club behind United, who are worth £3.2bn based on the value of shares traded last week.

There is likely to be plenty of interest in buying Chelsea, with Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, the subject of a £2bn offer from an Abu Dhabi Sheikh just a few months ago.