Chelsea takeover result of ‘great deal of research’

FORMER Football League chairman Keith Harris has claimed new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich turned his back on the prospect of buying Manchester United because it would have cost him around £700m.

And Harris, who in his profession as an investment banker was Chelsea’s advisor on the eventual takeover deal, says the Russian billionaire did a “great deal of research” into which club he wanted.

Harris says Arsenal and Tottenham were almost certainly on that list, but both were rejected, along with United before Abramovich decided on Chelsea.