Former Arsenal player and pundit Paul Merson has claimed that the time the Chelsea takeover is taking is “worrying” and fears the club will be left behind by its Premier League rivals. It comes amid a complicated saga surrounding the ownership of the Blues.
It started in March, when owner Roman Abramovich announced his intentions to sell, just before he was sanctioned by the UK Government in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This left the short-term and long-term future of the club uncertain, with the government giving them a sporting licence to continue to operate.
Raine Bank was left in charge of the process, eventually picking out a consortium led by Todd Boehly as the preferred bidder. While there are fears that Abramovich could renege his promise to wipe off the £1.6billion loan he gave the club, Boehly now has a period of exclusivity to proceed with the deal.
