Would Roman Sell The Empire?

As rumours circulate that the Russian oligarch may have lost some of his initial enthusiasm for the club, a consortium has announced that they would be interested in buying the club from him. A group of eight investors are reportedly considering making Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich an offer to purchase the club, according to reports from news agency Reuters. Holger Heims, a German investment manager at Falcon Equity, has revealed in an interview that he and a group of six to seven other investors from diverse locations in Europe, the Middle-East and Asia were weighing up whether an offer for the club would be worthwhile. A board member of Abu Dhabi United Group for Development & Interest, Sulaiman al-Fahim, is believed to be one member of the group. The Abu Dhabi organisation last year, of course, bought Manchester City, who are now going about tearing up the rule-book in relation to transfer dealings, much to the chagrin of figures like Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. Heims stated that no talks had yet been held with Abramovich, and no price-tag had been attached to the club, though German newspaper Bild had reported a possible £715 million as being enough to tempt Abramovich to part with his expensive plaything. Any proposed deal would not take the form of a hostile takeover, according to Heims, who said as reported in British newspaper The Independent: "We have no intention of launching a hostile takeover. This is only possible as a friendly deal." Apparently Heims and his fellow investors see an opportunity to expand the club's brand in Asia and the Middle-East, which would make the idea a viable mid to long-term proposition, as they look to build on the success that the Russian's millions have brought to the club. What Chelsea supporters might make of such a deal remains to be seen.