Chelsea’s board of trustees will not be expected to forward any bids for the club to Roman Abramovich, with the Russian owner adamant he will not sell.
The billionaire stunned the world of football on Saturday night when announcing his dramatic decision to hand over stewardship of the European champions, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation – headed by chairman Bruce Buck - will now take over the running of the club, which, in theory, could involve the fielding of bids from prospective buyers.
It has been reported that interested parties are lining up takeover offers, with Bloomberg claiming investors and private equity firms are considering offers to buy Chelsea.
But it is understood that a decision not to sell has already been made, meaning no such offers would be considered or forwarded to the owner.
Abramovich’s announcement – less than 24 hours before Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final – prompted widespread confusion over the 55-year-old’s long-term plans.
Sources say the principle motivation is to protect Chelsea’s reputation amid growing tensions between Russia and the west following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But his commitment to the club he bought in 2003 remains.
Confirmation of his ongoing determination to retain his ownership comes at a time of renewed speculation over potential bidders.
Despite calls for Abramovich to be sanctioned along with other oligarchs, he has not been included on any current list targeted by the UK.
He is free to continue to invest money for transfers, but Chelsea have increasingly sought to be self-sustaining.
Transfer decisions and the future of Thomas Tuchel will be in the hands of director Marina Granovskaia and technical advisor Petr Cech.
The board of trustees also includes Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes, executive director of anti-discrimination group Fare Piara Powar, Sebastian Coe, Paul Ramos, John Devine and Sir Hugh Robertson.
While the decisions they will be expected to deliberate over are said to be significant, football matters will not be in their remit, with Granovskaia and the senior management team remaining in place.
