HONG KONG, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Russia's RUSAL Plc said on Tuesday that billionaire Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea soccer club, has agreed to buy a minority stake in Norilsk Nickel under a proposed deal to end a four-year-old shareholder dispute at the Arctic miner.

As part of the deal, Russian tycoon Vladimir Potanin would become general director of Norilsk Nickel and be responsible for management of the company.

Potanin's 28 percent stake in Norilsk makes him the largest shareholder of the world's largest nickel and palladium miner.

Oleg Deripaska's aluminium firm RUSAL owns 25 percent of Norilsk Nickel.

Reuters reported late last month that Abramovich may step up as a 'white knight' minority shareholder to act as a buffer between Potanin and Deripaska.

(Reporting By Donnny Kwok and Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by John Mair) Keywords: RUSAL NORILSK/ABRAMOVICH

(annemarie.roantree@thomsonreuters.com)(+852 97387151)(Reuters Messaging: annemarie.roantree.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)

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