Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui appears to have ruled himself out of the running to become the next Manchester United manager.
10.03.2022 - 20:29 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
News broke this week that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had been sanctioned by the UK government as part of their attempts to crack down on wealthy Russians with assets within the country.
The 55-year-old, who purchased the club back in June 2003, announced last week that he was putting the club up for sale following Russia's invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago, with the net proceeds from the sale to be donated to "all victims of the war in Ukraine."
However, news that Abramovich — who said selling the club was in its "best interests" — has been sanctioned by the government means any sale of the club (estimated to worth between £2-3billion) has been blocked. With the owner's assets frozen, Chelsea can no longer sell tickets. Season ticket holders will only be allowed to attend matches for the foreseeable future, but the selling of any merchandise is prohibited.
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Furthermore, new contracts for players and staff have been banned, along with transfers. This is set to have a hugely detrimental impact on a number of key players with contracts expiring at the club.
One of those is defender Antonio Rudiger who was already widely expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer. According to Sky Sports, his representatives have stated that: “The club have had plenty of opportunities to try and tie him in down on a deal in the last six months before today’s developments [the sanctions].”
They also confirmed that Rudiger hadn’t ruled out staying in the Premier League, and it's understood that Manchester United would be interested in a move.
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Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui appears to have ruled himself out of the running to become the next Manchester United manager.
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