N’Golo Kante: Chelsea were ‘not prepared’ for Roman Abramovich to sell club

Abramovich has said he will sell the Premier League club amid scrutiny of his relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has said he and his teammates were caught off guard by Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell the club.

Russian Abramovich said the move is in the “best interest” of the Premier League side, as scrutiny increases over his relationship with his nation’s president Vladimir Putin, who has initiated an invasion of Ukraine.

Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003, and they have gone on to win multiple Premier League, FA Cup and League Cups trophies in the 19 years since, as well as two Champions League titles and two in the Europa League. Last month the Blues won the Club World Cup for the first time.

“It’s something we were not prepared [for], it came quickly,” Kane told Sky Sports of Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea.

“But the only thing we can do, because we don’t control these things, is to do the best that we have always done.

“Which means playing football at the best [level] – for us, for the club, for the fans – and see how the things are going.

“It’s the only thing we can control.”

Kante, 30, signed for Chelsea in 2016, immediately after playing a key role in Leicester’s stunning Premier League triumph. The France international also won the league with Chelsea the following year – marking the Blues’ fifth league title under Abramovich and most recent victory in the competition.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Abramovich wrote: “I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.

“The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss is among the names linked with buying Chelsea.