Posted: 12:38, 11 April 2022 | Updated: 13:39, 11 April 2022
The government is ready to start selling Chelsea to any of the four selected candidates, according to the PA news agency.
The remaining candidates to buy Chelsea must submit the final bids for the Stamford Bridge club on April 14.
The New York Mercantile Bank, Raine Group, will then hope to present a preferred bidder on Downing Street in the week of April 18th.
The government must approve the potential buyer, with the issuance of a new license from the Ministry of Finance for the sale of the last obstacle for the prospective new owners of Chelsea.
And sources close to the government have revealed that Downing Street’s satisfaction in the first place with all the remaining parties in the battle for the purchase of the Blues by Roman Abramovich.
The Chicago Cubs, the owners of the Ricketts family, and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, in collaboration with American tycoon Mark Walter and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein, pushed hard on their Blues bids.
Four candidates left in the race to replace Roman Abramovich at Chelsea
Los Angeles Dodgers owner Todd Boehly has been pushing hard for his Blues offer
Sir Martin Broughton and Lord Sebastian Coe have teamed up for another bid, with Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca also running.
The Ricketts family’s offer has sparked criticism among Chelsea supporters, with an online application launched against their candidacy.
A small protest also took place at Stamford Bridge ahead of Brentford’s 4-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday 2 April.
Chelsea supporters have opposed the family feuds, including patriarchal Islamophobic statements by Patriarch Joe Rickets in emails leaked since 2019.
The patriarch of the family Joe Ricketts, 80 years old, called the Muslims “my enemy” in emails that leaked from 2019
Protesters in Ricketts protest at Stamford Bridge this month
However, brothers Tom and Laura Ricketts are considered good bid leaders because of the Cubs’ management and their efforts for community relations and diversity and integration in Chicago.
The offer also has significant financial support from two of America’s richest men, Ken Griffin and Dan Gilbert.
Cubs owners’ public commitments to keep Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, to reject any European Super League and to include supporters in decision-making processes are believed to alleviate any inconvenience on Downing Street.
The Broughton and Coe consortium’s offer for Chelsea would be favored by the government, given the clear broken ties and the duo’s track record in sporting management.
The history of the Boston Celtics leader, Pagliuca in the NBA, is not considered to be a cause for concern on Downing Street either.
The history of Boston Celtics leader Stephen Pagliuca in the NBA has not raised concerns
Chelsea continue to push for the top four in the Premier League despite off-field uncertainty
Both the Broughton and Pagliuca consortium bids would likely require the sale of other football club shares, but government officials expect Raine Group to have already received such details in reducing their list.
Josh Harris and David Blitzer will have to drop their stake in Crystal Palace if they are named in Broughton’s bid as expected, while Pagliouka will have to reduce his 55 per cent stake in Italian side Atalanta.
The Boehly-Goldstein offer seems to have valuable minimal barriers from a government point of view.
The leaders of the four consortia met with Chelsea’s board executives last week to gather as much information as possible in the midst of refining their bids.
Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on March 2, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea has received special government permission to operate under strict conditions
The 55-year-old was later sanctioned by the UK government on March 10, with Downing Street claiming to have proven his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chelsea has received special government permission to continue operating, albeit under strict conditions.
The leave has been updated, according to government documentation, which allows the club to cover more than its employment costs during the process.
Abramovich can not benefit from the sale of Chelsea, but he had already committed to write off the club’s debt of 1.5 billion pounds.
