Chelsea

Government joins Premier League in approving Chelsea takeover

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 25 May 2022

Government joins PL in approving Chelsea takeover

The British Government announces that it is in a position to approve the sale of Chelsea, following the Premier League giving similar permission on Tuesday evening.

Chelsea are now on the brink of successfully been taken over by a consortium led by Todd Boehly after the British Government gave the green light for a deal.

Throughout the process, Chelsea have been under tight restrictions which have threatened their existence, a consequence of the government wanting to ensure that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich cannot benefit from running or selling the Premier League club.

At times, things have not run as smoothly as some had anticipated with a number of scenarios needing to be explored in order to guarantee that any proceeds go towards the victims of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine.

However, just hours after the Premier League announced that Boehly had passed the necessary owners' tests, the government followed suit with regards to the transfer of the funds.

A statement read: "Late last night the UK government reached a position where we could issue a licence that permits the sale of Chelsea.

"Following the sanctioning of Roman Abramovich, the government has worked hard to ensure Chelsea has been able to continue to play football. But we have always been clear that the long-term future of the club could only be secured under a new owner.

"Following extensive work, we are now satisfied that the full proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual. We will now begin the process of ensuring the proceeds of the sale are used for humanitarian causes in Ukraine, supporting victims of the war.

"The steps today will secure the future of this important cultural asset and protect fans and the wider football community. We have been in discussions with relevant international partners for necessary licences required and we thank them for all their cooperation."

Once other formalities are completed and an official announcement is made, head coach Thomas Tuchel will be in a position to make decisions on his squad for next season.

The German has previously acknowledged that he plans to be decisive in the transfer market after almost three months of restrictions.