Bidders for Chelsea could find out as soon as this weekend if they have been shortlisted in the race to buy out Roman Abramovich.
Sources close to the process expect contenders to be narrowed down to two or three by US merchant bank Raine Group after tomorrow’s deadline for offers.
Standard Sport understands a previous experience in sports team ownership will be given preference, which gives an advantage to a trio of Americans: the Ricketts family, Todd Boehly and Woody Johnson. They all own major sports franchises in the States, while the Ricketts family and Boehly have both attempted to buy Chelsea in the past.
Former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton emerged as a contender last night, with Lord Coe joining his bid.
Raine and the UK Government favour a sale to buyer who has the best chance of ensuring the stability of Chelsea, which is why experience in the industry is seen as crucial.
While Raine aim to generate as much money as possible from the sale — with bids expected in the region of £2bn-£2.5bn — it is not a case of the highest offer automatically winning.
Shortlisted candidates will be given access to Chelsea’s finances, including up-to-the-minute commitments to salaries, as opposed to published financial accounts. It is possible bidders could lower their offer after having a full view of the numbers or even pull out.
But the Ricketts family and Boehly have already carried out much of the due diligence required when previously looking to buy out Abramovich. Both believe that gives them an added advantage, with the Government and the Premier League wanting a quick sale following the sanctions imposed on Chelsea’s Russian owner.
The Ricketts family own the Chicago Cubs baseball team and are backed by hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, who is worth $27.5bn (£20bn). They are convinced they have put forward the strongest proposal, with experience of stadium renovation, having recently redeveloped Wrigley Field in Chicago. A rebuild of Stamford Bridge will be key to their plans at Chelsea, sources close to them confirmed to Standard Sport.
They tried to buy the European champions in 2018 and have continued to monitor them ever since.
Johnson, who owns American football team the New York Jets, is also set to bid, while Boehly, a co-owner of the baseball team the LA Dodgers, has joined forces with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and property developer Jonathan Goldstein on a joint bid.
Confirmation of Broughton’s interest was a fresh development last night, particularly the addition of Sebastian Coe, who delivered the 2012 Olympics for London, to his proposal.
“[Martin] has the vision, acumen and financial backing to ensure our club’s future success, keeping Chelsea at the top of European football and challenging for trophies,” said Coe. “But most importantly, like me, he is a lifelong Chelsea supporter and Shed End season-ticket holder. This bid is for the millions of Chelsea fans around the world. We love our club and will always put the fans first.”
Property tycoon Nick Candy, meanwhile, announced former Chelsea player and manager Gianluca Vialli would act as lead advisor for his bid.
Vialli’s firm, Tifosy, has worked with some of the biggest clubs in football, including Manchester United, Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan.
The Chelsea legend said: “I have met Nick Candy on a number of occasions over the last few weeks and I am fully behind his visions and commitment to make Chelsea the most globally recognised and supported club in the world, as well as maintaining the ongoing success on the pitch.”
The Saudi Media-led consortium are another notable contender, while US asset manager Oaktree Capital, run by Howard Marks, have also been linked.
