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LONDON. — Roman Abramovich could have bought Arsenal instead of Chelsea, but was told the English Premiership football club was not for sale by Swiss bankers, it has emerged.
It is a revelation made in a new book, The Club, written by Wall Street journalists Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg.
The landscape of the English Premier League could have been very different if the Russian billionaire had invested in the north side of London.
Former Chelsea owner Abramovich was mistakenly told that Arsenal were ”not for sale” prior to buying the Blues.
Abramovich was forced into selling the West London club sanctioned by the UK government in March earlier this year for allegedly having ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Chelsea were desperate to secure a new owner amid a budget crisis, with their funds temporarily dictated by the British government.
A group led by US businessman Todd Boehly completed their takeover of the club following the conclusion of the 2021/22 campaign. It brought an end to Abramovich’s 19-year control of the club, a period in which they won five English Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League crowns.
UK sanctions on the Russian oligarch were subsequently followed by the EU, which means that Abramovich’s assets that are in EU territory could be taken and frozen.
Russian billionaires have faced sanctions, frozen state assets and have been cut off much of the Russian corporate sector from the global economy as they attempt to force Russian President Putin to change course on his invasion on Ukraine.
It has now been revealed in new book The Club , penned by Wall Street Journal writers Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, that Abramovich was mistakenly told in 2003 that Arsenal were ”not for sale” prior to his move to buy Chelsea.
It is claimed that Abramovich set the wheels in motion to buy a Premier League club by hiring Swiss bank UBS, whose analysis ”categorically” showed him that the Gunners would not be sold. That stance is contradicted in the book by former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein believed the North London club would have sold had they received an offer. — Mailonline
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