There
have been around 200 expressions of interest to buy Chelsea, but any deal
linked with Saudi Araba would be difficult to complete.
The sanctioning of Blues owner Roman Abramovich by the UK Government last
Thursday saw the Russian-Israeli billionaire's UK assets frozen, including
Chelsea, which stalled proceedings for a sale of the club.
As Friday's deadline for bids looms, we run through the latest updates...
Friday deadline | About 200 interested
Bids to buy Chelsea have to be in with Raine Group by Friday, but if you
want to bid you have to show proof of funds before you are given access to
financial details about Chelsea.
There have been about 200 expressions of interest but many are not believed
to be serious contenders. The Saudi Media Group are reported to have made a
bid but any deal linked to Saudi Arabia would be difficult to complete.
EU sanctions near? | Evraz deleted by LSE
EU ambassadors met again in Brussels on Monday to discuss sanctioning more
Russian businessmen connected to Vladimir Putin, with Abramovich one of 15
names under consideration. Unlike the UK, the EU has the power to seize as
well as freeze assets.
One of the main sources of Abramovich's wealth has been deleted by the
London Stock Exchange. Steelmaking and mining company Evraz is one of four
Russia focused companies which are being removed from the exchange.
Premier League and FA flag 'integrity
issues' regarding tickets
The Premier League and the Football Association have raised integrity
concerns with the Government over the Chelsea ticket sale ban, the club have
said.
The Government has placed the club under a special licence after sanctioning
owner Abramovich over his ties to Russian President Putin. The licence is
designed to prevent Chelsea - and by extension Abramovich - generating any
new revenue, including from ticket sales.
Chelsea released a statement on Monday afternoon saying they were pressing
the Government for the right to sell tickets, and that the club were holding
daily meetings to get the licence amended.
The club also revealed the Premier League and the FA had raised concerns
over the licence, which prevents Chelsea selling new tickets to home areas
of the ground, to away supporters visiting Stamford Bridge or to Chelsea
fans wishing to watch their team on the road.
"We are pressing the Government to allow our supporters to have access to
tickets," the club statement said. "Meetings are taking place daily in
search of a resolution. In addition, the Premier League and FA are also
discussing with the Government the sporting integrity issues raised if they
do not permit fans to attend.
"We are aware of the high level of frustration our supporters are facing
over this issue, and we are doing everything we can to resolve it as soon as
possible."
Houston Rockets owner considering bid
The owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team is considering making a bid
for Chelsea, according to Sky News. Tilman Fertitta is among the parties who
have been given access to financial records by investment bank Raine Group.
A spokeswoman for Mr Fertitta declined to comment. One person close to the
process expressed scepticism that he would ultimately bid.
According to Forbes magazine, Fertitta is worth £4.8 billion and has
interests in restaurants, hotels, casinos and property.
Who is interested in Chelsea?
Todd Boehly / Hangjorg Wyss / Jonathan Goldstein
Leading consortium which has made offer in the region of £2 billion. LA
Dodgers part-owner Boehly tried to buy Chelsea in a £2.2 billion deal three
years ago with Jonathan Goldstein. They have now teamed up with US-based
Swiss billionaire Wyss. Goldstein is a property investor and Tottenham fan.
Nick Candy
London-based luxury property developer and Chelsea supporter who is putting
together a consortium to buy the club. Candy wants to have a fan
representative on the board and he is willing to put money into the club as
soon as possible to meet short-term financing needs.
Sir Martin Broughton
Former British Airways and Liverpool chairman is in talks about forming a
consortium to buy the club. Lifelong Chelsea supporter who played a key role
when Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool in 2010.
Tilman Fertitta
Fertitta, whose wealth is estimated by Forbes magazine at $6.2 billion (£4.8
billion), is the owner of the Houston Rockets basketball. He is among the
parties given access to a data room by the merchant bank overseeing the
sale.
Thomas Ricketts
The chairman of the Chicago Cubs is looking for investment opportunities
outside the US and was part of a consortium who tried to buy AC Milan in
2018.
Woody Johnson
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is not commenting on reports he is
considering making a bid. He is a billionaire philanthropist and heir of the
Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company. Johnson was appointed US
ambassador to the UK by Donald Trump in June 2017.
Josh Harris
Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris already co-owns a minority stake in
Crystal Palace which he would need to sell if he buys Chelsea.
RedBird Capital Partners
US private equity firm who last April paid £533m for an 11 per cent stake in
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group. Premier League rules would prevent
them owning another club.
Vivek Ranadive
Computer software billionaire and owner of NBA side Sacramento Kings is
interested in bidding for Chelsea.
Muhsin Bayrak
Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak said he was confident of agreeing a deal
to buy Chelsea by the end of last week.
Conor McGregor
MMA fighter and Manchester United supporter who has claimed on social media
that he was offering £1.5 billion for Chelsea. His management company
Paradigm Sports are working with McGregor Sports & Entertainment and
Empowerment IP Capital on a bid.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
One of the UK's richest man has looked at Chelsea but believes Premier
League clubs are overpriced. His Ineos Football Group now own Nice and FC
Lausanne. Ruled out bidding earlier this month but as a Chelsea supporter
there is an outside chance he may be tempted to reconsider.
Chelsea fans 'must stop chanting support
of Abramovich'
Chelsea fans must stop the "completely inappropriate" chanting of
Abramovich's name, the Prime Minister's spokesman has said.
Blues supporters again expressed their backing for Abramovich during
Sunday's home match against Newcastle.
The billionaire has brought unprecedented success to Chelsea since he bought
the club in 2003, but Boris Johnson's official spokesman insists supporters
should not let that blind them to Abramovich's association to the man
leading the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"We recognise the strength of feeling around people's clubs but that does
not excuse behaviour which is completely inappropriate at this time," he
said.
"I think people can show passion and support for their club without
resorting to that sort of stuff."
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