Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak has claimed that he is close to finalising the purchase of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.
Abramovich has put Chelsea up for sale and a lot of talk has revolved around the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Hansjord Wyss, although it was revealed on Thursday that the Russian has already received several offers of around £3bn for the club.
Bayrak's name had not been part of the conversation until this point, but the Turk, who has previously been described as a close friend of Abramovich, has claimed that he is looking to get a deal over the line as soon as possible.
"We are negotiating the terms of the purchase of Chelsea with Roman Abramovich's lawyers," he said (via Yeni Safak). "We are in the negotiation phase for the signatures. We will fly the Turkish flag in London soon."
He continued: "Roman Abramovich has confirmed that he will sell Chelsea, which he bought in 2003, on the club's official website. Our Holding Lawyers and Roman Abramovich's lawyers have been in touch since the first day Chelsea entered the sales process.
"The negotiation process has come to an end and we are planning to sign soon. This sale is also very important for Turkey."
The bank in charge of handling the sale, Raine Group, has stated that Abramovich will not rush the sale of Chelsea as he wants to ensure he finds the right owner.
"We are not going to rush anything," the bank's co-founder, Joe Ravitch, said (via Reuters). "It is very important that Chelsea have the right owner to guide the club forward."
Source : 90min