Chelsea sale 'at risk' as ministers press Roman Abramovich for fresh assurances

 The £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea has been thrown into fresh doubt amid a renewed impasse between owner Roman Abramovich and Whitehall over the deal's terms.

Sources understands that government officials have doubts about whether a special licence needed to approve the sale will be issued before a deadline at the end of the month.

People close to the discussions say that ministers have yet to receive the assurances they are seeking from Mr Abramovich about the destination of the £2.5bn sale proceeds.

Without a deal ahead of various footballing authority deadlines, Chelsea could be excluded from club competitions next season or even face the renewed threat of administration.

People close to the situation cautioned that it remained fluid, and a licence could yet be issued before the end of the month, ensuring Chelsea begin next season under new stewardship.

The oligarch and his advisers struck a binding deal earlier this month with a group majority-funded by Clearlake Capital, a Californian investment firm, and spearheaded by the LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly.

The sale would bring the curtain down on Mr Abramovich's 19-year tenure as the owner of Chelsea, who lost to Liverpool on penalties in Saturday's FA Cup Final.

The Blues have been operating under a government licence since Mr Abramovich was sanctioned in March, prompting a quick-fire auction which attracted billionaires from around the world.

Officials at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have been in talks with the club and Mr Abramovich about a new licence to non expedite the sale.

On Monday, officials said they remained concerned about the fate of a £1.5bn loan to the club's parent company from Mr Abramovich.

The government's sanctioning of Mr Abramovich means he does not currently have access to the funding required to repay a £1.54bn loan owed by the club's parent company, Fordstam, to Camberley International Investments - a vehicle associated with the oligarch.

The loan is thought to be repayable on Chelsea's sale.