The jailing of a senior Ghanaian politician has revived memories of his extraordinary claim that he wanted to buy Chelsea and sign both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako – widely known as Chairman Wontumi – was recently convicted and sent to prison, prompting renewed attention to one of his most eye‐catching public statements from 2022.
At the time, Chelsea were up for sale after then‐owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The west London club was eventually sold to a consortium led by US investor Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in a £4.25bn deal.
But in the midst of the high‐stakes bidding, it was Wontumi’s intervention, made live on his own TV channel, that captured the imagination of many Ghanaian football fans.
‘I want to go and buy Chelsea’
Speaking on Wontumi TV, the businessman and politician – who has interests in gold mining – declared that he was ready to join the race to acquire the Premier League side and outlined a series of blockbuster transfer plans.
“I’ve concluded that I want to go and buy Chelsea. I’m a businessman. I do gold mining, so of course I want to join the bid. I want Vinicius to join Chelsea when I buy it. I will allow Lukaku to leave; he has served the club well. After I buy it, I’ll try to see if I can get Ronaldo from Manchester United and then also Messi,” he said.
His remarks, delivered with trademark confidence, quickly spread across social media platforms in Ghana and abroad, turning what was already one of football’s biggest business stories into a moment of viral political theatre.
Viral moment in Ghanaian football folklore
While there was no indication Wontumi ever entered the formal bidding process, the comments cemented his place in Ghana’s rich tradition of colourful sports-related political commentary.
Football supporters shared and remixed the clip extensively, and the promise to unite Ronaldo and Messi in Chelsea blue – alongside Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and with Romelu Lukaku allowed to depart – became a talking point on radio phone‐ins and fan forums.
The episode has since taken on a life of its own, regularly resurfacing whenever Chelsea’s ownership or transfer policy is discussed in Ghanaian media.
What actually happened to Chelsea – and the stars
In reality, Chelsea’s sale proceeded without any role for the Ghanaian politician. The Boehly‐Clearlake consortium, which also includes other US investors, completed its takeover in May 2022, bringing an end to Abramovich’s near two‐decade tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Cristiano Ronaldo did leave Manchester United later that year, but he moved to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr rather than to the Premier League side mentioned by Wontumi. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, joined Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami in 2023 after leaving Paris St‐Germain.
Vinicius Junior has remained at Real Madrid, establishing himself as one of their key attacking players, while Romelu Lukaku has spent much of the period since the takeover out on loan away from Chelsea.
Old declaration, new spotlight
Wontumi’s recent imprisonment has brought his earlier football proclamation back into sharp focus, with clips of the 2022 broadcast circulating once more.
Although his ambition to buy Chelsea never materialised, the episode endures as a striking example of how global football – and especially the Premier League – continues to intersect with politics, business and popular culture far beyond England’s borders.
