Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich denies tension with UK government authorities as he waits to return to London.

The Daily Mail says Abramovich has denied he has been ordered to explain the origin of his wealth as part of his visa renewal application.

The Chelsea FC owner is at the centre of the latest spat between Britain and Russia after it emerged his latest UK visa has not yet been approved.

He has already waited six months for the paperwork for his Tier One investors visa to be done, despite the process usually taking only three weeks.

A source close to the oligarch, who has not been seen in the UK since early April, insisted his finances were not being inspected and the visa renewal was simply taking longer than usual.

An associate told Russia's state-owned Sputnik news agency: "He was not asked to explain the source of his capital."

The source said Abramovich is undergoing "the usual process of visa renewal, just longer than usual" and there are "no additional requirements".