CaughtOffside have a really interesting weekly column with their so called “super agent” Jon Smith, who usually keeps us up to date with the latest transfer news.
This week he’s gone a little more conceptual, and his take on the Chelsea ownership situation was particularly interesting.
We’ve heard a lot about the potential sticking points of the deal, and one of the most notable is how the whole sale happens without any money making its way to Roman Abramovich.
That is the government’s “red line” in this situation, understandably given he has been sanctioned, but the question is how you sell someone’s property in exchange for money… without giving them any of it, as Smith points out.
“[It] is territory no one truly understands, unless they’re on the inside of the transaction and that is the big issue here. There hasn’t been much transparency and Chelsea fans will feel they need some.
Supposedly, any money received for the club will be donated to the UNICEF charity,” Smith mused.
“Therefore, if UNICEF put out an official statement and confirms they’re going to receive the money from the club’s sale, then that will help a lot, but until that happens, we’re all left to wonder how on earth an owner can be sanctioned and then sell such an asset without receiving any of the monies. It really is a complex situation.”
It will be fascinating to try and work out the mechanics of it all, and the government are in a difficult position, as they are desperate to get it out of Roman’s hands, but don’t want any chance of him benefitting from it.
It’s going to be a very complex few weeks.
