Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said yesterday that being part of a consortium bidding to take over English Premier League club Chelsea was too great an opportunity to pass by. Hamilton, along with American tennis star Serena Williams, could each invest up to £10mn, according to Sky News, as part of a consortium led by former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and most successful,” said Hamilton, who professed a life-long love of football, “the biggest sport in the world”.
“When I heard about this opportunity, I was like wow, this is this is one of the greatest opportunities to be a part of something so great.” Hamilton, speaking ahead of Imola Grand Prix, added that from the age of five or six he had been a supporter of Chelsea’s bitter city rivals Arsenal. “But my Uncle Terry is a big Blues fan so I’ve been to so many games with him to watch Arsenal and Chelsea play,” he said.
Hamilton said he had been contacted by Broughton after the announced sale of the European champions by Russian owner Roman Abramovich. “Martin took time to speak to me on the phone and explained his and his team’s goals if they were to win the bid, which was incredibly exciting, and it was very much aligned with my values,” said Hamilton.
Russian billionaire Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on March 2 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was subsequently targeted by UK sanctions.
Aside from Broughton’s candidacy, which also has World Athletics president Sebastian Coe - an avid Chelsea fan - on board, two other bids have been registered, headed up by Todd Boehly, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, and Steve Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team.

Salah undecided over Liverpool future
Mohamed Salah admits he has not decided if he wants to stay at Liverpool beyond his current contract as the Egypt star sparked fresh speculation about a possible Anfield exit. Salah will be out of contract at the end of next season and has yet to sign a new deal despite months of negotiations.
The 29-year-old reportedly wants to be made the Premier League’s highest-paid player, with wages of around £500,000 ($642,000) per week.  Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, Salah suggested it was not certain he would remain with Jurgen Klopp’s side, who are chasing an unprecedented quadruple this season. “I have one year left,” said the forward. “I think the fans know what I want, but in the contract it’s not everything about the money at all. So I don’t know, I can’t tell you exactly. I have one year left.”
Salah has established himself as a Liverpool great since signing from Roma in 2017. He has scored 155 goals in 245 appearances in all competitions, helping Liverpool win their first Premier League title in 30 years in 2020, as well as the 2019 Champions League. He leads the Premier League goalscoring charts again this season, with 22 goals so far.
Offering hope to Liverpool fans, Salah said: “This club means a lot to me. I’ve enjoyed my football here more than anywhere. I gave the club everything and everybody saw that. “I’ve had a lot of unbelievable moments here, winning trophies, individual goals, individual trophies. It’s like a family here.”
Salah conceded it would be a difficult decision to walk away from the unique Anfield atmosphere and the passionate support of Liverpool’s global fanbase.