The sale of Chelsea is moving a step closer with three final bids being evaluated by the club’s board and Raine Group, the US merchant bank overseeing the auction on Roman Abramovich’s behalf, before an application is made to the government for the terms of its operating licence to be altered.
All three consortiums have experience in US Sports and, as part of final bids submitted before last Thursday night's deadline, have vowed not to load the club with debt. The least complicated group is led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, with key figures in the other two needing to divest or reduce shareholding in other clubs for a move to proceed.
Steve Pagliuca will need to reduce his 47% share in Serie A club Atalanta to satisfy conflict of interest issues, while the backers of the other bid, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, would need to sell their stakes in Crystal Palace to pass the Premier League's owners' and directors' test.
