Roman Abramovich bidding to buy La Liga club

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is planning a bid for La Liga club Valencia.

Abramovich confirmed last month that he was selling the Blues but there is now a suggestion that he may re-enter football immediately with a hope of buying the struggling La Liga club, amid reports that Singaporean businessman Peter Lim has put Valencia up for sale. That is according to Miguel Zorio, who is a rival bidder for Los Che.

Chelsea are desperate to secure a new owner amid a budget crisis, with their funds dictated by the British government in the wake of the UK sanctions imposed on Abramovich due to his alleged links to Russia president Vladimir Putin.

Zorio, a Spanish businessman who is attempting to buy Valencia with an €248m (£207.8m) bid, alleges that the club’s current owner, Peter Lim, has claimed that he has also received an offer from Abramovich.

There has now been a claim from Zorio that Lim has attempted to sell the club to Abramovich and has accused the current Valencia owner of leaking the news to the media. Zorio has suggested that the Russian oligarch is the other major contender to buy the club.

Plaza Deportiva report a letter from Zorio as stating: “Peter Lim has tried to sell the club in London for €250million and has not succeeded. Lately, he has leaked to international media that he has two purchase offers, mine and that of the Russian oligarch of Chelsea. And from here, I tell him that either he puts €50m every year to compensate for the losses he generates or he sells to us. Whether he likes it or not.”