The Ricketts household, who personal Major League Baseball group the Chicago Cubs, a consortium that includes Lord Coe and one other group led by British property investor Nick Candy have all submitted provides to buy Chelsea.
A deadline for bids had been set for 21:00 GMT on Friday after the Premier League club had been put up on the market by Russian proprietor Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea fan Candy mentioned he had secured extra funding from South Korea and his bid was for “over £2bn”.
Abramovich’s try to promote the club was halted after he was sanctioned by the UK government and his belongings, together with Chelsea, had been frozen.
That transfer got here within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Abramovich understood to have sturdy ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
American funding agency Raine Group has been tasked with promoting Chelsea and the UK authorities is predicted to situation a brand new licence, permitting the club to be bought, as soon as a most popular purchaser had been highlighted.
The official deadline to purchase the west London Premier League club was 21:00 GMT on Friday, though some ultimate bids are probably to be submitted into the weekend.
There are nonetheless greater than 20 events, however the variety of confirmed bids is probably going to be 10 to 15.
Chelsea and Raine Group will make a shortlist subsequent week, with the popular bidder then requiring authorities approval, which can contain proving the supply of funds and the place the cash goes subsequent.
Any sale can even want to be signed off by the Premier League’s homeowners’ and administrators’ take a look at – referred to as the ‘match and correct individual’s take a look at’.
One of the bids was submitted by a consortium led by ex-Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton and Lord Coe.
“I stay the one individual [in the bidding process] to have effected a change of possession at a significant soccer club in the same scenario, which I did at Liverpool 12 years in the past,” Broughton, who can also be a former British Airways chairman, mentioned.
“As a lifelong fan, I’m dedicated to guaranteeing Chelsea maintains its preeminent place on the high of European soccer and ensuring we put followers first.”
The consortium mentioned followers could be “on the coronary heart of resolution making” if the bid was profitable and it will “assure the club is rarely beholden to a single particular person or sovereign wealth fund”.
A spokesperson for Candy’s Blue Football Consortium mentioned: “I can affirm that the 2 South Korean companies Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group are a major a part of Mr Candy’s world consortium of buyers.
“Their involvement is consultant of Chelsea’s world model and big loyal fanbase in Asia.”
Candy added: “Football golf equipment are vitally necessary neighborhood and cultural belongings, and this can be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to give soccer again to the followers and put them on the coronary heart of the operations and technique of a number one world soccer club.”
The bid from the Ricketts household is backed by billionaire hedge fund entrepreneur Ken Griffin.
Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak, who had beforehand expressed an curiosity within the club, mentioned late on Friday that his firm AB Group Holding had not filed a bid.
Bayrak attributed AB Group’s failure to meet the deadline to a misunderstanding along with his attorneys over the public sale process, telling information company Reuters that he was “very upset” by the scenario.
Abramovich purchased Chelsea in 2003 for £140m however in his assertion saying his intention to promote he mentioned his possession had “by no means been about enterprise nor cash, however about pure ardour for the sport and club”.
He values the club at £3bn and has loaned the club £1.5bn – however mentioned he is not going to ask for any loans to be repaid. Abramovich has additionally mentioned proceeds of the sale could be donated to battle victims.
The funds from the sale may go to a charitable organisation or right into a frozen account.
Who are the potential bidders for Chelsea?
- A consortium led by ex-Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton, and joined by London 2012 chief Lord Coe.
- The Ricketts household, who personal Major League Baseball group the Chicago Cubs, are main a bid from a gaggle of buyers.
- Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and US businessman Todd Boehly have fashioned a part of a consortium to attempt to take over Chelsea. Now joined by American PR govt Barbara Charone, British businessman Jonathan Goldstein and British journalist Daniel Finkelstein.
- London-based funding agency Aethel Partners, headed by Portuguese entrepreneur Ricardo Silva.
- British multi-millionaire businessman Nick Candy, supported by former Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli, who co-owns Tifosy, a mergers and acquisitions firm for the soccer sector and joined by Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group.
- Other events reported to have an interest embody US billionaire and Philadelphia 76ers proprietor Josh Harris who has a stake in Crystal Palace, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and a Saudi Arabia-based consortium.
