The talk at Chelsea
Chelsea appear to be breaking the Premiership all-comers' record for speculation about players and managers at the moment, so it's no surprise that they have set another mark by taking over this column for the third consecutive time. Fans are purring with anticipation at the prospect of what new owner Roman Abramovich's billions can do to their club, but not everyone is impressed with the Russian Revolution. A leading agent described recent events at Stamford Bridge in colourful terms. "It's a bloody joke!" he said.
Pini money exaggerated
Speaking of agents, Israeli uber-fixer Pini Zahavi appears to be running the show at Chelsea for the moment. It was Zahavi who put Abramovich in touch with the Blues and then accompanied Sven-Goran Eriksson to last week's controversial meeting. But rumours that he received a 10 per cent cut of the £140million takeover are well wide of the mark, according to a Chelsea insider.
Reubens roll into debate
As Russian billionaires are all the rage in London these days the focus falls back on another pair, the Reuben brothers, who are associates of Abramovich. Simon and David Reuben made their money in the mysterious world of the Russian aluminium industry before a £500million sale to Abramovich's oil company Sibneft three years ago. The brothers, who have moved to London, are raising their profile and have already made a bid for Selfridges.
But are they interested in football? Their spokesman, from city PR firm Luther Pendragon, Charles Stewart-Smith, said: "They are more interested in buying properties than football clubs. But you can never say never."
Roman wants green light
The formula one world is awash with speculation that Abramovich wants to invest in the sport. The new Chelsea owner was a guest at the recent European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring and is a keen follower of motorsport. There are moves to bring a grand prix to Moscow, but Abramovich's Sibneft company may face a challenge from rivals Lukoil.
Support across the board
The new Chelsea board should be an interesting mix as word reaches us from Russia that Abramovich's representatives have some interesting allegiances. His key aide, Eugene Tenenbaum, who fronts his businesses in Britain through Weybridge-based Millhouse Capital, is said to be a Tottenham supporter, while old university chum Eugene Shvidler and former Enron director Richard Creitzman, who has already been outed in this column as a fair-weather Barnet fan, are supposed to follow Arsenal. London derbies could be interesting.
Some Gud news for Eidur
The club have finally secured the services of Eidur Gudjohnsen for another three years, bringing to a close a tortuous saga that started last summer. The Icelandic striker, who has extended his current deal by a year, was offered a contract on Monday - only to have it withdrawn 24 hours later. At last, though, talks between his advisor, Peter Harrison, and the club have paid off.
Contact us at: talkinchelsea@standard.co.uk
