Nick Candy watches from stands as he eyes Chelsea bid as supporters display Roman Abramovich banner

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.

The match finished 1-0 in Chelsea's favour after a goal from Kai Havertz (pictured) in the 89th minute.

Mr Candy's interest comes alongside a £1.5bn plan to renovate Stamford Bridge, something which would tick the box of taking care of the club's future which Abramovich wants to see in a prospective buyer.

The 49-year-old's extensive portfolio of property development could also appeal to potential consortium investors given the need to improve Chelsea's historic venue to increase matchday revenues.

Outside the stadium today he said the fans 'should be involved in the ownership, both on the board and economically'.

'I love Chelsea, I don't mind where it ends up as long as it's in safe hands,' he told Sky Sports.

He added best bids were coming in on Friday.

Stadium plans might particularly appeal to Abramovich, as well.  It was something the oligarch looked into himself and was prepared to pay up to £2bn to modernise Stamford Bridge which he felt in turn would secure his Chelsea legacy.

Chelsea announced plans to build a 60,000-seater stadium on the same site in 2015 and received planning permission following a lengthy battle with local residents two years later.

But the project was scrapped in 2018 after Abramovich's visa renewal was blocked by the government in light of the Salisbury poisonings.

'We are looking at what the art of the possible is,' Candy told The Telegraph on Wednesday about his interest.

Candy and his younger brother Christian are British luxury-property developers, estimated to share a joint net worth of £1.5billion.

Together they formed Candy & Candy, a property development company in 1999..

The brothers' past high-profile projects include London's One Hyde Park, NoHo Square and the redevelopment of the former Chelsea Barracks.

Candy will pour some of his own worth into the takeover but is also in talks with American investors about forming a consortium.

Candy is married to the actress and singer Holly Vallance and they have two children together.

A spokesperson for Candy said: 'Mr Candy has a huge affinity with Chelsea.

'His father was asked to play for the club and he has been watching matches at Stamford Bridge since the age of four.

'The club deserves a world class stadium and infrastructure and Mr Candy's unique expertise and background in real estate would be a hugely valuable asset to delivering this vision.

The embattled Chelsea Football Club was thrown a lifeline last night as Ministers agreed it could be sold by its sanctioned Russian owner Roman Abramovich after he was disqualified as a club director.

Tough restrictions were eased to allow the sale to go through after the 55-year-old oligarch reportedly agreed that he would not receive any proceeds from the £3 billion deal.

Abramovich was also said to have agreed to write off £1.5 billion debt he is owed by Chelsea, which he bought in 2003.

There was alarm from fans that the sanctions imposed on Friday would mean Abramovich could not sell the club, leaving it paralysed. The club's bank accounts were frozen by Barclays.

But following crisis talks yesterday, the Government eased the terms of a 'special licence' to allow Chelsea to carry on trading in a limited capacity.

Technology minister Chris Philp previously criticised some Chelsea fans who chanted Roman Abramovich in support of the club owner sanctioned over the Russian invasion.

The Government claims Mr Abramovich received financial benefits from the Kremlin, including tax breaks for his companies, the buying and selling of shares from and to the state at favourable rates, and contacts in the run up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He told Times Radio: 'I'm a football fan myself, I'm a Palace fan, in south London. So, I understand why fans are very attached to their football clubs.

'But Roman Abramovich is someone who has been sanctioned now, yesterday morning, for his very close links to Vladimir Putin and the Putin regime.

'I just say respectfully to the Chelsea fans, I know he's done a lot for the club, but the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and what the Russian regime are doing to civilians - shelling maternity hospitals and shooting civilians who are fleeing down humanitarian corridors - and that is more important than football'.