Roman Abramovich reportedly wants to buy a Spanish soccer club before he's even sold Chelsea, his $3 billion London team
- Roman Abramovich is still yet to sell Chelsea.
- But according to Spanish businessman Miguel Zorio, the Russian oligarch is already trying to buy a club in Spain.
Roman Abramovich, the sanctioned Russian billionaire and current owner of European champions Chelsea, has made an offer to buy Spanish soccer club Valencia, according to another potential buyer for the La Liga side.
Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, however sanctions slapped on him by the UK government shortly afterwards mean he is no longer able to profit from the transaction.
The sale of Chelsea is now in its closing stages with finals bids from the four remaining candidates to be submitted by April 14.
Miguel Zorio, a former vice-president of Valencia, has now claimed that Abramovich is already attempting to delve back into the world of soccer, this time in Spain.
Zorio is leading an attempt to buy Valencia for $270 million and claims that he has been informed by its current owner Peter Lim that Abramovich has also put in a bid.
"Peter Lim has tried to sell the club in London for €250 million ($273 million) and has not succeeded," Zorio said in a statement published on the website of Marea Valencianista, the group he is leading to try and buy Valencia.
"Lately, he has leaked to international media that he has two purchase offers, mine and that of the Russian oligarch of Chelsea.
"And from here, I tell him that either he puts €50 million ($55 million) every year to compensate for the losses he generates or he sells to us. Whether he likes it or not."
It is unclear as to how Abramovich would be able to go ahead with the reported attempt to purchase Valencia given the current sanctions imposed upon him in Europe.
On top of being sanctioned by the UK government last month due to his ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin, Abramovich also had his assets frozen and handed a travel ban by the European Union.
Valencia did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the reported bid.
Last week reports emerged that Abramovich was also attempting to buy Turkish Super League club Goztepe SK. However, the proposed deal appeared to be a fabrication seemingly stemming from a joke made by a British journalist in a comment piece.
Goztepe denied that Abramovich has made an approach for the club with its deputy chairman Talat Papatya telling Turkish news agency DHA that "no such thing" had happened.