The British parliament is considering a forceful takeover of English football club Chelsea from its Russian owner Roman Abramovich over links to the Russian state and his reported involvement in corrupt practices.

This planned move comes after The Sun expose revealed that Abramovich withdrew his application for a UK Tier 1 investor visa in 2018 due to pressure in the wake of the nerve gas atrocity in Salisbury, Wilts.

British Labour MP Chris Bryant, disclosed he had details of a leaked Home Office document which suggested Abramovich should not be allowed to be based in the UK.

“Surely, we should be looking at seizing some of his assets, including his 152 million pound home, and making sure that other people who’ve had tier one visas like this are not engaged in malign activity in the UK,” the publication quoted him as saying. “That’s nearly three years ago, and yet remarkably little has been done in relation. Surely, Mr Abramovich should no longer be able to own a football club in this country.”

MP Bryant also revealed that the Russian businessman was of interest to the government “due to his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices”.

On how he got hold of the leaked documents the MP said: “I couldn’t comment on individuals in that way or leaked documents of that type”.

UK government has also mulled imposing tough sanctions on some business magnates who have close ties to the Kremlin including Russia’s youngest billionaire and ex-husband of Vladimir Putin’s daughter Kirill Shamalov, general director of United Aircraft Corporation Yury Slyusar, and CEO of Novikombank Georgieva Elena Aleksandrovna. (AFP)

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