The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to affect the wider world and sport does not exist in a bubble. Russian teams and athletes are facing disqualification from competitions such as the Europa League, with Spartak Moscow being expelled from the tournament and now Chelsea are facing the harsh reality of the situation.
Russian owner Roman Abramovich has decided to sell the club, as confirmed by an official statement on Chelsea's website. The Russian's acquisition of the club back in 2003 changed the landscape of English football and at times proved a serious challenge to Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Our colleagues at football.london have reported that talks are ongoing between Abramovich and a consortium headed by Swiss buyer Hansjorg Wyss and it seems United fans are facing a reality they didn't expect, where Chelsea are changing owners before their club has managed to part ways with the Glazer family.
There are extenuating circumstances involving the crisis in Europe that we cannot ignore as mentioned in Parliament by MP Chris Bryant, who began the call for the seizing of Abramovich's assets and this may have prompted the sudden decision but, in his leaving statement, United fans should note that Abramovich has written off Chelsea's £1.5bn debt and has stated that the 'net proceeds' will go to victims of the war in Ukraine.
The writing off of the debt means that Chelsea will not be financially crippled by Abramovich's departure but they will still be entering into an uncertain landscape which they were definitely not expecting to experience any time soon. So on the footballing side of things, let's look at three things that will 'definitely' happen when Chelsea are sold from a United perspective.
United will witness another club suffer at the hands of American owners
United fans' distaste for the Glazers is well documented but they are not the only top-flight supporters that are unhappy with their American ownership, with Arsenal and Liverpool also having been very vocal about their owners as well.
Though headed by Wyss, multiple reports have stated tha LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly has joined the bid to buy Chelsea alongside the Swiss billionaire.
It is not certain whether Boehly will approach the venture in the same way as the Glazers or Stan Kroenke but, in an interview with the Telegraph in the past, he said: "The opportunity we had with the Dodgers was really about part-ownership with Los Angeles, how are we going to win, how are we going to drive championships and how are we going to build passion."
However, it is still safe to assume that the American owner will not be so liberal with his funds as Abramovich has proven during his 19-year reign at Stamford Bridge.
United fans will probably take great pleasure that after years of being mocked by Chelsea fans who were backed heavily by Abramovich over the years, those same supporters may now have to suffer the same fate.
United may have an easier run at targets in the transfer window
From Declan Rice to Aurelien Tchouameni, if a transfer target has been linked with United looking towards the summer they tend to have also been linked with Chelsea.
This is largely due to the two clubs needing reinforcements in both central midfield and also up front, given Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo's unexpected poor form this season.
The Abramovich sale will give United a boost in both their pursuit of a Ronaldo successor and a defensive midfielder like Rice, not just due to the finances involved but, according to a report by the Guardian, Marina Granovskaia and Bruce Buck are unlikely to remain at the club after the ownership changes hands.
Granovskaia has been noted as the driving force behind much of Chelsea's business in the past and she will be a massive loss to the club, meaning that in the chaos to replace her, United could tie up deals for their main targets with reduced opposition.
United's future project is now even more important
We can talk about ifs, buts and maybes all we want, but none of that matters if United do not capitalise on the weakness of their major rivals.
It was already important that United appointed a top-level manager like Mauricio Pochettino or Erik ten Hag and then provided their choice with a strong structure and backing in the transfer market. Bitter rivals Manchester City and Liverpool remain a level ahead on the pitch currently but United have an opportunity to cash in when Pep Guardiola's tenure does end, with some suggestions he could yet leave City in 2023 at the end of his contract. Jurgen Klopp would be in the same boat at Anfield a year further down the line.
Back in 2020, Klopp told Sports Buzzer his plans for when his deal is up in 2024, saying: “I’ll take a year off and ask myself if I miss football. If I say no, then that will be the end of coach Jurgen Klopp." It's not absolute confirmation and the landscape can change in the meantime but it's the clearest hint yet that the German will end what would at that stage be a nine-year spell with the club.
Now with Chelsea entering unchartered territory and the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal still unreliable competitors, it is crucial United get the rebuild right this time and build to challenge post-Guardiola as the stars could align for them perfectly to make their way back to the top.
There is no denying the opportunity this presents United. The Glazers' continued ownership means they are not devoid of their own problems in-house but Chelsea's upcoming period of uncertainty should be treated with relish.
