British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe ‘among three interested groups’ as Roman Abramovich confirms sale

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly among those interested in buying Chelsea after Roman Abramovich confirmed he would be selling the London club.

The Sun claim Ratcliffe – the wealthiest man in the UK – is considering putting in an offer via his Ineos empire.

The 69-year-old has a net worth of £6billion and is reportedly a season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge.  

It is understood he will face competition from at least two other groups should he make a bid.

Ratcliffe already has an interest in two clubs overseas having bought Swiss Super League side Lausanne-Sport in 2017, while also owning French side Nice. 

Abramovich sensationally confirmed that Chelsea is up for sale on Wednesday, with the Russian oligarch reportedly slapping a £3billion asking price on the London club while also writing off the £1.5billion debt he is owed from it.

In a surprise development, the Russian broke his silence to confirm he is in the process of selling Chelsea FC – with proceeds of the prospective sale to be donated to the victims of war in Ukraine.

MailOnline reported on Wednesday morning that the club had been put on the market, with a view to recouping at least £3billion, as Abramovich seeks to distance himself from Russian President Vladimir Putin and sanctions imposed on Russia by the west over its devastating and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly among those interested in buying Chelsea

The oligarch has instructed American bank the Raine Group to handle the sale of the west London side.

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss claims he has been approached ad is considering making an offer as part of a consortium which includes co-owner of the LA Dodgers Todd Boehly, who has shown previous interest in buying the club.

Abramovich is worth £10.4bn ($12.5bn), according to Forbes, and owns a £150m Kensington mansion, a £22m penthouse, and more than £1.2bn of yachts, private jets, helicopters and supercars in Britain and globally.

The 69-year-old has a net worth of £6billion and is a season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss (R) says he could form part of a consortium to purchase the club

Chelsea FC is his most valuable British asset, after the oligarch transformed its fortunes from outside challengers to Premier League giants with the help of Jose Mourinho and huge signings like Didier Drogba, so its sale will be a personal blow to the billionaire industrialist.

There are strong indications that Abramovich will receive at least two firm offers for Chelsea by the end of the week. 

The danger of a buy-out being wrecked if Abramovich is sanctioned by the UK Government has made the situation urgent.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer challenged Boris Johnson in Parliament on Wednesday about why Abramovich has not yet been sanctioned, with the Prime Minister replying: ‘It is not appropriate to comment on individual cases.’

Roman Abramovich has put Chelsea up for sale and wants around £3billion for the club