Once again, there are rumors that Roman Abramovich is looking to sell Chelsea. In reality, there will be no smoke before the day he sells the club.
Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, is a notoriously private man. Though it has not been unusual to see him at Stamford Bridge during his ownership, hearing him speak in public in any fashion is nearly unheard of.
If Abramovich has something to say, he does it through intermediaries. If he wants to say something, he will use Marina Granovskaia, Bruce Buck, or previously Michael Emenalo to spread the message. An extension of this is that he will only let information out that he wants out.
So if Abramovich was looking to sell the club, there would be little to no rumors about it. The day he sells the club will be the day Chelsea fans and the world are completely blindsided by the news. That day is coming, eventually, but it is unlikely to be soon.
Over the last few days, rumors have sprung up that Abramovich is either looking to sell the club or has set his price. In context of Abramovich’s visa issues, it would make sense. In the context of just having hired a new manager and supporting him in the market, it makes less sense. In addition, the hunt for a technical director, though painfully slow, is not something someone would do if they were looking to sell.
In fact, if Abramovich was preparing to sell the club, he would be doing little to build on long term projects. The supposed restart of the stadium project and the new structure of management hint at Abramovich building for the long term.
The twist on the rumor has come in the form of selling a minority stake in the club. That is basically a middle ground between the rumors and reality but it does make more sense. A minority owner could increase funds while also creating a sort of overlap in ownership. If the minority owner becomes the owner, they will have already been part of the club for some time and the transition would be simple.
Some will be excited about any rumors linking the club to a sale. Abramovich is not as free spending as he previously was and there is a sense among some fans that the club is falling behind the mega millions of Manchester City. But it has always been about how the money is spent, not that it is spent. And Abramovich has been one of the world’s best football club owners. The chances of getting someone as passionate and involved again are slim.
But the mere fact that fans are hearing anything at all about a sale most likely means nothing is happening. As already stated, Abramovich is a private man who keeps his cards close to his chest. The day he sells the club will be sudden and unexpected. There will have been no rumors and even if there were, they would be from dubious and untrustworthy sources.
Abramovich might be eyeballing a minority stake owner but that is the farthest these rumors will go. The man loves the club and though he is facing issues in his own personal life with world events, he will remain devoted to Chelsea. That is, of course, until the day he suddenly blindsides fans with the club’s sale.