The government has approved the £4.25bn Todd Boehly-led consortium takeover of Chelsea.
After months of negotiations, the deal has finally been approved after the government received legal guarantees that Roman Abramovich – who has had his UK assets frozen – will not benefit from the sale.
Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich put Chelsea, which he purchased in 2003, up for sale on March 2, a week after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
“Last night the Government issued a licence that permits the sale of Chelsea,” said culture secretary Nadine Dorries. “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.
“We are satisfied the proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or other sanctioned individuals. 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.”
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On Tuesday night, the Premier League approved the takeover, with its board applying “the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT) to all prospective Directors” and undertaking “the necessary due diligence”.
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Sky Sports News understands that the proceeds of the sale are going into a frozen bank account controlled by the government.
Chelsea have been operating under a special government licence, which expires on May 31, albeit with restrictions over signing and selling players and offering new contracts to stars.
Boehly, co-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team, and fellow consortium member Hansjörg Wyss were at Stamford Bridge for Sunday’s final 2-1 win over Watford.
US magnate Boehly will become Chelsea’s controlling owner once the takeover is complete, though California investment firm Clearlake Capital will assume the majority shareholding.
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