Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS plan to invest £1.75 billion into Chelsea over a period of 10 years if their late bid for the club is successful. Ratcliffe announced an offer had been placed on Friday, weeks after the initial deadline that saw consortiums from Todd Boehly, Martin Broughton and Stephen Pagliuca chosen to advance in the bidding process that The Raine Group have facilitated.
In a statement released, INEOS have announced their plans to invest in the Blues to ensure a 'first-class squad' for both the men's and women's teams, as well as continued investment in the club's Cobham academy. The future of Stamford Bridge has been among the high-profile components of all bids thus far, with INEOS planning to make it a 'world-class' stadium by renovating Chelsea's home as an ongoing project so that the team are not required to relocate elsewhere.
Reports suggest that members of this latest bid are yet to reach out to the likes of the Chelsea Pitch Owners or the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, who have both been involved in discussions with other prospective owners. Furthermore, INEOS already own French club Nice, who are in contention to finish third in Ligue 1 this season and enter the third Champions League qualifying round. Under UEFA multi-club regulations, Chelsea and Nice wouldn't both be able to play in the competition in the same season under the same ownership.
