Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has confirmed the club is up for sale, concluding his 19 years in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Whoever buys the Blues will probably have to pay the most that has ever been stumped up for any football club previously. Abramovich did the same back in 2003 when he paid £140 million ($233 million at the time) to take control of the club from Ken Bates.
Since then, however, other deals have cost even more.
It can be difficult to trace exactly how much football clubs are bought and sold for. Not every club announces precise figures after a takeover, and some purchasers begin with small stakes and gradually increase their shares, so their ownership is cumulative.
Here are the most expensive single transactions that have been reported:
AS Roma, Friedkin Group, €591m/$700m, August 2020, bought from James Pallotta
Newcastle United, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, £300m/$409m October 2021, bought from Mike Ashley
Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group, £300m October 2010, bought from Tom Hicks and George Gillett
Everton, Farhad Moshiri, February 2016, £200m, then 49.9-percent shareholder, since increased, bought from Bill Kenwright
Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, June 2003, £140m/$233m, bought from Ken Bates
Man City, Sheikh Mansour, $212m, 2008, bought from Thaksin Shinawatra
Genoa, 777 Partners, $150m, September 2021, bought from Enrico Preziosi
Southampton, Sport Republic, £100m/$135m, January 2011, 80-percent stake bought from Gao Jisheng
Aston Villa, Tony Xia, £76m, June 2016, bought from Randy Lerner
PSG, Qatar Sports, between €30 million (US$43.24 million) and €40 million (US$57.66 million), 2011, bought from Colony Capital
Another Premier League club is set for another multi-million takeover in the months to come, according to reports. 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, are looking to take control of Leeds United having already taken a 15-percent stake in Leeds for a reported £10 million ($13.3 million) in 2018. Since then, the firm has increased its stake, and The Athletic reported in December 2021 that it had a deal agreed to take full control of the club by 2024 for a sum of around £400 million ($531 million), possibly extending to £475 million ($631 million).
Could Chelsea be the most expensive football club ever?
When a new owner completes the purchase of Chelsea from Abramovich, it is likely to top all these figures. The current asking price for the Blues is understood to be around $2.5 billion.
That is a reduction of the $2.9 billion offer that Todd Boehly is thought to have put in for the club three years ago and was rejected.
However, comments from potential investor Hansjorg Wyss also suggest that the actual sale price might turn out to be a little lower.
“Abramovich is currently asking far too much,” he told Swiss magazine BLICK.
Why is Chelsea for sale?
Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday, March 2, that he was going to sell the club. The announcement came three days after he had announced his intention to transfer the “stewardship and care” of the club to the Chelsea Foundation. However, there was no hint then that he would be giving up ownership.
Abramovich said that all net proceeds from the sale of the club will be put into a charitable foundation for “all victims of the war in Ukraine”.
He added: “Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the club.”
Which are the most valuable football clubs in the world?
Of course, some football clubs would command huge purchase prices but have not gone on the market or invited offers. Forbes produces an annual list of the most valuable football clubs in the world. In 2021, their top 10 ran as follows:
Barcelona (Spain), estimated value $4.76 billion
Real Madrid (Spain), estimated value $4.75 billion
Bayern Munich (Germany), estimated value $4.22 billion
Manchester United (England), estimated value $4.2 billion
Liverpool (England), estimated value $4.1 billion
Manchester City (England), estimated value $4 billion
Chelsea (England), estimated value $3.2 billion
Arsenal (England), estimated value $2.8 billion
Paris Saint-Germain (France), estimated value $2.5 billion
Tottenham Hotspur (England), estimated value $2.3 billion