When Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale at the start of March in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he stated he would be writing off the £1.5bn debt owed to him in addition to all net proceeds of the sale being donated to a foundation created to help those impacted by the war.

Reports in recent days, however, claimed the UK government, who along with the EU have placed sanctions on Abramovich, feared the Chelsea owner would renege on that pledge to write off the loan and throw the takeover process of the club into doubt. However, in a statement released on behalf of Abramovich this evening, it has been reassured that is not the case and that the money will be frozen.

Published on Chelsea's official website, the statement read: "Firstly, Mr Abramovich's intentions in relation to gifting the proceeds from the Chelsea sale to charity have not changed.

"Since the initial announcement, Mr Abramovich's team has identified senior representatives from U.N. bodies and large global charitable organizations who have been tasked with forming a Foundation and setting out a plan for its activities. The lead independent expert has had conversations with Government representatives presenting the structure and initial plans.