Former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton ‘keen to buy Chelsea’

Sir Martin Broughton is compiling his own bid to buy Chelsea, the PA news agency understands.

The former British Airways chairman and lifelong Chelsea fan was expected be on hand at Stamford Bridge for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Newcastle.

The 74-year-old was due to meet with Chelsea supporters groups representatives after the Blues’ first match under the new Government operating licence.

The business magnate won a court battle to push on Liverpool’s sale to FSG, who have helped drive the Anfield club back to Premier League and European summit.

Broughton remains the only person to have carried out a change of ownership at a top football club under UK Government supervision.

The state-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland was Liverpool’s biggest lender at the time, meaning Broughton boasts first-hand experience of negotiating a Premier League club sale with Government involvement.

Broughton now chairs Sports Investment Partners, having formerly headed up British American Tobacco in a heavyweight business career.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the Government on Thursday, with all his UK assets frozen bar Chelsea.

The Blues will continue to negotiate with the Government for relaxations of that new operating licence, in a bid to push through to the end of the season while the sale process is overseen.

Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich has owned Chelsea since 2003, driving the Blues to 21 trophies in 19 years.

The 55-year-old put the Stamford Bridge club up for sale on March 2, pledging to write off the Blues’ £1.5billion debt and not take a penny out of the change of ownership.

The Government will now oversee that process however, with New York merchant bank the Raine Group handling the sale.

The number of serious bidders continues to grow, with Broughton the latest to push on with a serious submission.

Property tycoon Nick Candy had earlier on Sunday vowed to include fans in the club’s decision-making should he take over the Champions League
holders, before watching the game against Newcastle from the stands.

The Government’s interjection on Chelsea’s daily running has left Blues staff fearing for their futures.

Petr Cech has admitted the Blues face a tough situation (Niall Carson/PA).

And tecnhical director Petr Cech told Sky Sports: “It’s been devastating to watch what’s been happening in Ukraine and of course our thoughts are with the victims of that situation and I hope the situation improves soon and people will stop suffering.

“Then if you compare it to what has been [happening] here at the football club, of course it’s been a difficult situation because we have a lot of questions, but we don’t have many answers.

“But we are determined to concentrate on things we can control, which is obviously working with people, support each other, come to training, prepare and focus on the games, which is probably the only thing we can control at the moment, and the team has the support around to do it.”

Hoping boss Thomas Tuchel will be able to honour his Chelsea contract, Cech continued: “Thomas has a contract until 2024. As it stands, we’ve been told that the contracts will be valued and in that way, we hope that we will have him as a coach as he’s been absolutely brilliant on every level.

“But that’s another thing, of course. Tomorrow, the situation can change and then my answer will be irrelevant.”

Chelsea’s German boss Tuchel has been working hard to keep the players’ minds focused on the football, and told Sky Sports of the tribulations of the last fortnight.

He said: “It is hard to focus only on football, but as bad and as horrible as the situation is in the Ukraine and the situation that Russia started this war, which is incredible and unacceptable and horrible, there are so many things which are much more important than football.

“There is so much more and there are so many more important jobs out there than mine, and that makes me feel uncomfortable because we are still very, very privileged.”