Former Liverpool chairman 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.

Th