A consortium led by US financier Todd Boehly is set to take control of Chelsea Football Club in a £4.25bn deal after the UK’s culture secretary on Wednesday said the government had issued a licence for the sale of the club by Roman Abramovich.
The announcement by Nadine Dorries marks the final stage in a complex process that started after the UK imposed sanctions on Abramovich over his close links with the regime of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
Abramovich has had to demonstrate that he will not benefit in any way from the sale and that the proceeds will go to an independent fund to support victims of the war in Ukraine.
“Last night the government issued a licence that permits the sale of @ChelseaFC,” Dorries wrote on Wednesday morning on Twitter. “Given the sanctions we placed on those linked to Putin and the bloody invasion of Ukraine, the long-term future of the club can only be secured under a new owner.”
Dorries added that the government was satisfied the sale would not benefit Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual.
“I want to thank everyone, especially officials who’ve worked tirelessly to keep the club playing and enable this sale, protecting fans and the wider football community,” Dorries said.
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