Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich To Buy Spanish Second Division Side Mallorca

Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich "is reportedly in negotiations to purchase 55% of the shares" of Spanish second division side Real Mallorca, after the club "avoided relegation on Saturday," according to Tom Conn of INSIDE SPANISH FOOTBALL. El Mundo citing sources close to the Russian billionaire has revealed that the 47-year-old "is in negotiations to take over the Balearic club by purchasing the majority shares" from VP Lorenzo Serra Ferrer and President Gabriel Cerda Alemany. The report goes on to add that current Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate "would retire from competitive football and would become a representative to lead this ownership group with day to day operations," which will take place on July 1. However, after the match against Cordoba, Aouate "denied that Abramovich was behind the operation, but admitted that, 'it is true that there open negotiations with some people'" (INSIDE SPANISH FOOTBALL, 6/7).