Chelsea look set to be the subject of two separate bids from either side of the Atlantic in the coming days, with two billionaires ready to go head-to-head to be the club's new owner.
The West London outfit are on the market after current owner Roman Abramovich announced in a lengthy statement he is planning to sell the club.
Abramovich has owned the club and been a regular fixture at Stamford Bridge for the best part of 19 years, but intense scrutiny over his relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin has made his position as Chelsea owner untenable.
The first bid received looks set to come from British property developer Nick Candy, who is plotting a £2.5billion offer for the club expected to be submitted by the end of the week, according to the Daily Mail.
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The 49-year-old is already a Chelsea fan and his offer will include plans to plow £1.5bn into a Stamford Bridge rebuild.
Candy, husband of Holly Valance, is thought to be in conversation with a number of American investors, aiming to form a consortium that could then go forward with an official offer.
"Nick Candy is actively exploring a number of options for a potential bid for Chelsea Football Club," a spokesperson for Candy confirmed to Sportsmail.
"Any bid would be made in conjunction with another party (or consortium) and we have serious interest from several international partners."
However, Candy is also said to value the club significantly lower than the price Abramovich is currently asking for.
The Russian billionaire is aiming to fetch at least £3bn for the reigning European champions, but Candy's offer of £2.5bn could still be accepted by Abramovich given his desperation to sell.
The 52-year-old could be sanctioned by the British government as early as next week and as a result may be willing to accept an offer slightly below his £3bn target.
But Candy could face competition in his efforts to own the Blues in the form of US billionaire Josh Harris.
Once a top executive at private equity firm Apollo Global Management, Harris now co-owns a portfolio of sports holdings alongside business partner David Blitzer.
Harris already boasts a minority stake in one London-based Premier League outfit in the form of Crystal Palace, but his main focus is National Basketball Association side the Philadelphia 76ers.
If he were to become involved with the Blues, he would have to relinquish his stake with the Eagles. A spokesperson for Harris declined to comment to the Financial Times.
Harris is believed to be in conversation with bankers over his potential bid for the Blues.
It is widely believed that Abramovich would prefer to sell the club to either a Europe or US-based billionaire rather than have any interference from a sovereign state.
