Roman Abramovich has put Chelsea on the market, setting their price at more than £2bn, an amount which if realised would obliterate the world record for a football club’s sale. The Sunday Times Business section understands that the Russian has hired the same specialist US investment bank who helped Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi ownership sell a 13% stake to Chinese investors in 2015.

That deal valued City at around £1.9bn but Abramovich is looking for well in excess of that to dispose of Chelsea — having already rejected a £2bn bid for his club earlier this year from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man. Abramovich is said to have rebuffed the approach because he was holding out for a higher bidder. A sale at Abramovich’s