London investment firm Centricus confirms bid to buy Chelsea

A London-based investment firm confirmed it has submitted an offer to buy Premier League club Chelsea.

The club has been put up for sale by its billionaire owner Roman Abramovich after he was the subject of sanctions by the UK government for his alleged ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin and the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The European and world club champions continue to operate under special, stringent conditions after the British government claimed to have proven Abramovich’s links to Putin.

The deadline for any bids to be submitted for the Premier League side came and went on Friday evening, with a number of parties understood to be contenders for a takeover.

In a statement released Monday, Centricus said it saw an opportunity to "make a long-term investment" in Chelsea and that it was "committed to supporting existing management on both the business and sporting operations".

According to The Times newspaper, Centricus has joined forces with hedge-fund manager Jonathan Lourie and Bob Finch as well as a prominent group of Chelsea supporters in attempting to seal a deal.

In quotes reported by the newspaper, Centricus chief executive Nizar Al Bassam spoke of his affection for the club he claimed was "bleeding money at a faster rate than it should be" after Abramovich had his UK assets frozen, leaving the club in limbo.

Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva celebrate after beating Lille 2-1 to make the Champions League last eight. AP

“I’ve had the same seats in the Tambling suite and the same seats in the West Stand for 10 years," Al Bassam was quoted as saying.

"I’m worried for the staff there when I see this turmoil. We see the same people hosting us when we walk in. They’re amazing to us. We see the