Billionaire Nick Candy watched Chelsea beat Newcastle 1-0 today from the stands at Stamford Bridge as he pondered a takeover bid for the Premier League club.
The property tycoon, 49, is a Chelsea fan himself and a long-term season-ticket holder.
Chelsea sources had warned the club was two weeks away from bankruptcy after the Government hit Abramovich with sanctions due to his close ties with Vladimir Putin.
However, fans still displayed a 'Roman Empire' Abramovich banner in support of their oligarch owner with links to Russian tyrant Putin, who has been accused on war crimes during his invasion of Ukraine.