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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Michael Gowler

Where Russian oligarchs Abramovich and Usmanov worth £22bn rank in Premier League rich list

Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov are two of the Premier League 's biggest players who have found themselves thrust into the spotlight following Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine.

The pair of billionaires are both believed to maintain close ties with Vladimir Putin and their connections to their nation's president have subsequently seen their footballing interests affected.

Chelsea owner Abramovich has found himself embroiled in a tug-of-war with the club's trustees over his desire to pass on stewardship following a rare statement at the weekend.

Amid speculation that the 55-year-old may be forced to sell the club, he's sought to distance the Blues from media backlash by attempting to make the handover, however his offer has been met with Chelsea resistance.

Latest reports claim the Blues owner has now been contacted by Ukraine with a view to him acting as a peacemaker in the ongoing conflict.

Fellow Russian billionaire Usmanov is another heavily involved in a Premier League club's affairs who has also seen his country's invasion impact his personal interests.

Unlike Abramovich, the 68-year-old doesn't own the Toffees, but does hold close commercial ties to the Merseyside club.

His company USM Holdings currently sponsor Everton's training ground and also hold the exclusive naming rights to the club's new stadium.

With Europe imposing sanctions and upping their efforts to deter Russia from continuing their invasion, Usmanov has recently seen his assets frozen by the European Union.

The powerful pair are both big-hitters in the Premier League's rich list, but how much are they actually worth and where do they rank compared with those who bankroll some of England's other elite clubs?

With Abramovich valued at more than £10billion and Usmanov at an even more impressive £12bn, the Russian oligarchs appear high up in the standings, but not quite at the summit.

Newcastle made waves the whole world over when much-maligned owner Mike Ashley sold the club to a consortium backed by the vast wealth of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund as recently as last October, and they are top the rich list table.

PIF took an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle and, as the investment branch of the Saudi government, have an almost bottomless pit of money at their disposal, said to around the £320bn mark.

The only other mega-money Premier League player who can top the wealth of Abramovich and Usmanov is that of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour.

Deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Mansour, who purchased City back in 2008, is also the chairman of International Petroleum Investment Company and is reportedly worth a whopping £22.9bn.

Abramovich who became football's first high-profile billionaire bought Chelsea for a reported £140million back in 2003, in a meeting with Ken Bates that allegedly lasted 15 minutes, ranks third on the list as a result of his £10b worth.

Abramovich has long been associated with Russian president Vladimir Putin (Getty Images Europe)

The Chelsea owner made his billions from selling previously Russian state-owned assets after the fall of the Soviet Union.

As previously mentioned, though Everton's Usmanov doesn't fall into the category of Premier League owner, the club's commercial partner's £12bn valuation means he features high on the rich list and technically ranks in the top three.

The standings mean the Russian pair find themselves above a number of notable names, including Arsenal 's Stan Kroenke (£6.08bn) and Manchester United 's Glazer family (£3.48bn).

The Premier League’s top 10 richest owners:

Newcastle United – Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (£320bn)

Manchester City – Sheikh Mansour (£22.9bn)

Chelsea – Roman Abramovich (£10.74bn)

Aston Villa – Nassef Sawiris (£6.15bn)

Arsenal – Stan Kroenke (£6.08bn)

Wolves – Guo Guangchang (£5.11bn)

Crystal Palace – Josh Harris (£4.3bn)

Tottenham – Joe Lewis (£3.63bn)

Manchester United – Glazer family (£3.48bn)

Leicester City – Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (£1.59bn)

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