As Friday’s deadline for the sale of Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea approaches, BBC Sport rounds up who the main interested parties are so far.
The official deadline to buy the west London Premier League club is 17:00 GMT on Friday 18 March, although some final offers are likely to come over the weekend as known parties will apply. more time.
There are still more than 20 bidders, but the number of confirmed bids is likely to be 10-15.
Chelsea, with US investment firm Raine Group handling the sale, will make a final decision on a shortlist next week, with the preferred bidder also requiring government approval. Any sale will also need to be approved by the Premier League’s owners and directors test, known as the “suitable person test”.
The asking price for the reigning Champions League and Club World Cup champions is said to be around £3bn, although some have described this as “excessive”.
Russian billionaire Abramovich’s initial attempt to sell Chelsea was halted after he was sanctioned by the UK government after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich is understood to have strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Who are the potential bidders from Chelsea?
- A consortium led by the former president of Liverpool Sir Martin Broughton, and joined the London boss 2012 mr coe
- the rickets familyOwner of the Major League Baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, leads an offer from a group of investors
- Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American businessman Todd Boehley They have been part of a consortium to try to take over Chelsea. Now accompanied by an American PR executive Barbara Charonebritish businessman jonathan goldstein and British journalist Daniel Finkelstein
- London-based investment firm Aethel Partnersheaded by the Portuguese businessman Ricardo Silva
- British billionaire businessman nick candy, supported by ex-Chelsea striker Gianluca Viallico-owner of Tifosy, a mergers and acquisitions company for the football sector
- turkish billionaire muhsin bayrak says he is one of those who have launched a bid
- Other informed parties who are interested include the American billionaire and owner of the Philadelphia 76ers. joseph harris which has a stake in Crystal Palace, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and a Consortium based in Saudi Arabia.
How much is the club worth?
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 for 140 million pounds, but in his statement In announcing his intention to sell, he said his property had “never been for business or money, but rather out of sheer passion for the game and the club”.
He values the club at £3bn and has loaned the club £1.5bn, but has said he will not ask for any loans to be repaid. Abramovich has also said that proceeds from the sale would be donated to war victims.
The proceeds from the sale could go to a charity or a frozen account.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has said the £3bn price tag “seems excessive” given the size of Stamford Bridge.
“Most commentators are of the opinion that it’s not big enough to generate the money that someone would want to go through,” Maguire said. “There is no capacity to increase Stamford Bridge given its location in London, so moving elsewhere in London would be very expensive.”
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How quickly could the sale be made?
Abramovich has owned Chelsea since 2003, with the club winning 21 trophies during his tenure. He had his British assets, which include Chelsea, frozen by the UK government and was disqualified as a club manager by the Premier League.
The Blues can continue to operate after a special license was issued by the UK government,
This also ensures that Chelsea’s staff are paid and allows season ticket holders to attend matches, but a new license will need to be issued to sell the club.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said earlier this month: “The fastest [sale of a club] what we have done is 10 days, but that does not mean that it cannot be overcome.
“Normally it’s a matter of weeks, but it depends on the complexities and the number of potential owners.”
More details about potential buyers and their value.
- Chelsea: Aethel Partners becomes the latest group to bid to buy the club
- The owners of the Chicago Cubs and the consortium that includes Lord Coe intend to bid for the club
- British businessman Nick Candy says he is planning a takeover bid
- From Notts County to North Korea: The story of a billion-dollar swindler who sold a dream to the oldest club in the Football League
- The sound of Peaky Blinders: Cillian Murphy shares clues that have been integral to the feel of the show.
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