Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s wealthiest man, has fuelled rumours that he is interested in taking over another football club, but declined to comment specifically on rumours that he had a bid for Chelsea rejected by fellow billionaire Roman Abramovich earlier this year.

Reports in June suggested that Ratcliffe, the founder, chairman and majority owner of chemicals firm Ineos, had offered £2 billion to buy the west London club.

Ratcliffe, speaking exclusively to Telegraph Sport on Friday, declined to address those reports, saying: “There are always things going on at Ineos but I can’t really comment.”

He did, however, admit that football was a “lifelong passion”, noting that he already owned “a small club in Switzerland”. The 65-year-old became the owner of FC Lausanne-Sport in 2017.

“That [FC Lausanne-Sport] was a sort of learning curve for us,” Ratcliffe said. “A dipping-your-toes-in-the-water sort of thing.”