The UK Government has reiterated their May 31 deadline to Chelsea as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries has insisted that the Blues are on 'borrowed time' regarding making their decision on who the future owners of the club will be.
Speaking to the BBC recently, Dorries said: "There is a very short window left for that sale to take place. Chelsea's being sold, as you know, and the sanctions apply, so those sanctions still apply during the sale. But what I will say, actually, is that Chelsea is very much on borrowed time at the moment." And when asked how quickly a sale would need to be completed, she answered “within weeks”.
LA Dodgers' part-owner Todd Boehly appears to have seen off the likes of Stephen Pagliuca and Sir Martin Broughton after reportedly being named as preferred bidder, despite a last-minute battle against Britain's richest man Jim Ratcliffe to fight off, who confirmed his interest on Friday.
READ MORE: Chelsea sale: Roman Abramovich's decision to snub Stephen Pagliuca and Broughton explained
A statement from Ineos read: "Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, has made a formal bid for Chelsea FC, for £4.25bn. £2.5bn is committed to the charitable trust to support victims of the war, with £1.75bn committed to invest directly into the club over the next 10 years. This is a British bid, for a British club.
"We believe that a club is bigger than its owners, who are temporary custodians of a great tradition, With a responsibility to the fans and the community. That is why we are committing to spending £1.75bn over 10 years that will be for the direct benefit of the club. We will invest in Stamford Bridge to make it a world-class stadium, befitting of Chelsea FC. This will be organic and ongoing so that we will not move away from the home of Chelsea and risk losing the support of loyal fans.
"We will continue to invest in the team to ensure we have a first-class squad of the world's greatest players, coaches and support staff, in the men's and women's games. And we hope to continue to invest in the academy to provide the opportunity for talented youngsters to develop into first-class players.
"We believe that London should have a club that reflects the stature of the city. One that is held in the same regard as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich. We intend Chelsea to be that club. We are making this investment as fans of the beautiful game – not as a means to turn a profit. We do that with our core business. The club is rooted in its community and its fans. And it is our intention to invest in Chelsea FC for that reason. No further comment will be made from Sir Jim or INEOS during the bidding process."
Whoever eventually takes over from Roman Abramovich, most Chelsea fans will just be happy to see the protracted process finally completed.
