Roman Abramovich's smartest Chelsea investment will protect club from uncertainty of next owner

From the moment Roman Abramovich confirmed his intention to sell Chelsea last week, the only certainty in the club's immediate future became uncertainty. Nobody knows what comes next.

Abramovich has owned Chelsea for almost 19 years and the Blues have enjoyed unbridled on-pitch success in that time. Every possible trophy has been won. Countless world-class players have called Stamford Bridge home. And hundreds of memories that will last supporters a lifetime have been made.

Those can't be erased. Nor can Abramovich's role in transforming Chelsea into one of Europe's most powerful clubs – it's why the majority of fans continue to chant his name at matches.

Yet the 55-year-old's decision to sell Chelsea following Russia's horrific invasion of Ukraine is as seismic as it was dramatic. The club's future has been altered in a fashion nobody could have envisaged just a few short weeks ago.

For good and bad, Chelsea will almost certainly not get another owner like Abramovich, who was willing to cover club losses in excess of £1.5billion during his 19 years as owner. As a result, the Blues will likely need to operate far more shrewdly and make smarter off-pitch decisions.

Will that effect Thomas Tuchel and the first-team squad? Yes, in all likelihood. Although as stated above, there are far too many uncertainties at this stage to be completely sure.

What we do know is that – via Swiss Ramble – over the past decade, Chelsea have spent around £1.5bn on signings, which is more than any other Premier League club. However, the Blues' net spend in that period of £725m is below Manchester City and Manchester United thanks to their ability to generate income through sales.

That was never more evident than last summer when the Blues