Roman Abramovich ‘flew £48m private jet to Turkey’ to talk Chelsea with Muhsin Bayrak
Roman Abramovich has reportedly been in Turkey to discuss the sale of Chelsea to Turkish billionaire Muhsin Bayrak.
The Russian is desperate to find a buyer after being forced to cut ties with the club in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last week.
It’s understood that Abramovich is looking for bids of around £3 billion, but the hurried nature of the sale means he’ll probably struggle to get that much.
A number of potential buyers have announced their interest, including Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American tycoon Todd Boehly who have planned a joint-bid.
But Bayrak has emerged as the latest frontrunner after claiming “the Turkish flag will fly in London” earlier this week.
Abramovich, who is waiving £1.5 billion worth of debt the club owes him, appears to want to ensure Chelsea falls into the right hands, and has spent the last few days speaking with the prospective buyers.
The Russian’s £48 million private plane was spotted landing in Istanbul on Wednesday, before moving on to the Turkish capital of Ankara, and it’s understood that Abramovich has met with Bayrak in person to discuss a deal.
Bayrak claims that he has been locked in talks with the Chelsea owner and ever insists he is “in the negotiation phase for the signatures”.
speaking to Turkish outlet Yeni Safak, Bayrak said: “We are negotiating the terms of the purchase of Chelsea with Roman Abramovich’s lawyers.
“We are in the negotiation phase for the signatures. We will fly the Turkish flag in London soon.
“We made our offer. Because of the war with Russia and Ukraine in the world. Because they find Turkey safe, they want to get most of the after-sales money in Turkey. We are planning to sign soon.”
Bayrak is worth an estimated £8 billion but little is known of him in the West.
