Conor McGregor has confirmed his intention to buy a football club amid the ongoing sale of Chelsea.
Roman Abramovich officially put Chelsea up for sale on March 2, having initially passed on “stewardship” of the club to trustees following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Blues are now fielding interest from a number of parties, including McGregor, who has also hinted at trying to buy Manchester United and Celtic in the past.
What’s been said?
The two-division UFC world champion said he wished to explore the purchase of Chelsea after Abramovich’s announcement and tweeted that he had submitted a £1.5 billion bid for the club on Friday.
McGregor has taken to social media once again to reiterate his desire to own a football club, but he is not putting all his eggs in the Blues’ basket.
“I do not speak in jest. I am exploring this, as I said. Celtic from Dermot Desmond, Manchester United from the Glaziers (sic), and now the recently up for sale Chelsea football club,” he wrote on Twitter.
“All being explored. A football franchise purchase is in my future make no mistake about it.
“Everyday I ball. How wouldn’t I lead a team of young, dedicated athletes to glory. I’m perfect for the job. Pray it’s your team.”
Who else is in the running to buy Chelsea?
A US-Swiss consortium led by Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss are thought to be leading the race to buy Chelsea, who have set a deadline of March 15 for all offers to be submitted.
However, McGregor’s bid is also on the table and AB Grup chairman Muhsin Bayrak has emerged as a candidate in recent days.
Bayrak has confirmed that negotiations with Abramovich’s legal team are already underway, with the Turkish businessman eager to “fly the Turkish flag in London” after submitting a formal offer.
“Yes, we definitely confirm [our offer]. We have forwarded our offer regarding this to them,” Bayrak has told The Guardian.
