Former Chelsea forward Pat Nevin has said that whoever buys the club in the future must bring security to Stamford Bridge. There appears to be a number of contenders in the running to complete a deal after Roman Abramovich announced his intentions to sell.
A deadline for confirmed bids has come and gone since, with a huge list of names linked with a move for the club. It is expected that there is still plenty of work to do on any potential deal.
Nevin has said though that the employees behind the scenes need caring for should a takeover be signed off any time soon. He then suggested that when that is guaranteed, the new owners can begin on their vision for the reigning European champions.
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Speaking with Sky Sports, the 58-year-old said: “First of all, bring a level of security around the club to make sure there isn’t a fear around the club. Around the rest of the club like people who work in the club shop, that’s the one that kind of jumps out on you. There’s up to 800 people or more people that actually work at the club and a lot of them are very, very worried just now.
“Get that set and make sure then you go forward. There may well be a new structure at the club and you’ll look at the very top of the club, maybe slight changes in the board, there may not be changes in the board but certainty of where you’re going with both of them is important.
“And then when the owners come in you have to make decisions on 'okay, what’s the direction'? Are you going to try and be a world class club like Chelsea have been for many years now or are you going to manage it, because remember Roman Abramovich, the £1.5billion he funnelled into the club, not every owner is going to be able to do that. It’s very, very unusual.”
Whilst Nevin has been insistent that the new owners follow a process once they seal the acquisition of the west London club, he is aware of some interested parties and their affection for the club. As a result, he is not concerned that decisions will not be made in the interest of the Blues.
He continued: “It’s nice to see some names that I know and some names that love Chelsea. John Terry ’s name has been mentioned very recently. Daniel Finkelstein I know is a big, big fan. Sebastian Coe is a guy I know well, brilliant, lovely, fantastic fan who’s got Chelsea at his heart.
“Barbara Charone is someone else who may not be that well known out of the music industry and Chelsea fans as well but someone I’ve known for many, many years back to when I played for it, that long ago. So there’s a lot of people who have Chelsea at heart and there is a lot of money there.
“It’s not the biggest bid, it’s the right bid. The one that makes you sure that Chelsea going forward can be a) safe but b) can feel comfortable within itself.”
