CHELSEA owner Roman Abramovich has not forked out £95MILLION for a painting despite Russian reports suggesting he had.
The billionaire was said to have spent the staggering sum on Edvard Munch’s iconic piece ‘The Scream’ which would have made the £54m the Blues are about to spend on Timo Werner look like pocket money.
The famous work shows a person appearing to cry out in pain and despair and is said to be one of the most powerful depictions of anguish and anxiety in the art world.
The pastel on board piece from 1895 was reportedly snapped up at Sotheby’s in New York on May 2.
But a spokesperson for Mr Abramovich has categorically denied the Chelsea owner had any involvement.
Sotheby’s are yet to confirm if an auction even took place.
Norwegian artist Munch produced four versions of the piece – two painted and two in pastel.
And if the work has sold, the piece would be one of the most expensive paintings in history behind Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi – the most expensive ever – which sold for £355m in 2017.
Many people and most football clubs across the country are suffering serious financial consequences from the coronavirus outbreak.
But Abramovich seems to have bucked that trend by backing Frank Lampard in the transfer market.
His Chelsea side are set to clinch the £54m signing of RB Leipzig’s Werner from under Liverpool’s nose while many clubs search for money to pay wages.
Blues chiefs were confident they’d landed the Germany striker in a move costing an overall £106million.
But Leipzig supremo Oliver Mintzlaff said: “We have not had an exchange with Chelsea yet.
“So far, Timo Werner has not drawn the clause — nor has a club sent a transfer contract.
“We have nothing to report and do not take part in the daily speculation.”
Chelsea are willing to meet Leipzig’s £54m release clause for Werner, 24, and the star himself is believed to have agreed a £52m, five-year contract with the Blues worth £200,000 a week.
