In the seven days since Roman Abramovich announced his intention to sell Chelsea, there has been no shortage of people making plenty of noise about their desire to take over.
Some groups, such as the consortium composed of Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss, are to be taken seriously. Others, such as Conor McGregor, deserve laughter and nothing more.
While Abramovich said that the sale would not be fast-tracked in his statement last Wednesday there is a determination to get it all done quickly and next Tuesday, March 15, has been set as a deadline for offers to be submitted.
The Russian, who could still face UK government sanctions, is looking for £3billion for the club but the situation and timescale means he is likely to end up accepting a significantly smaller sum.
The US firm Raine Group are overseeing the process and there is a desire for the next owner not to be politically or geographically problematic.
Here is what we know about the prospective buyers so far; what to take as genuine and what to take with a pinch of salt.
Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss
The frontrunners, for now. It is deeply unusual for these processes to be played out so publicly but a near blow-by-blow account has been given from Wyss' side since the day before Abramovich's announcement when he told the newspaper Blick that he had been approached with an offer. From there, as reported by football.london, Wyss got Boehly plus one other unnamed businessman on board and yesterday a formal bid was submitted. The group have the funds but there are questions around Wyss' motives, with Blick suggesting he may be motivated to buy the club in spite of Abramovich. Boehly is a minor shareholder in the LA Dodgers, the big-spending and flashy baseball franchise.
Muhsin Bayrak
Another who has gone disarmingly public and there is plenty of scepticism around the Turkish businessman's intentions. Certainly the comments made earlier this week point to some exaggeration on his behalf. “The world believes we have a 90% chance of completing the deal,” he told Oda TV. “Abramovich thinks the same.” None of that is true and those comments do not bode well for his chances.
Saudi Media
The private consortium is definitely interested but to what scale remains unclear. The group deals in media, advertising and sport and its chairman Mohamed Al Khereiji was seen at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. But this deal would be complicated by the club’s desire not to sell to a group with a problematic geopolitical background.
Josh Harris
An interesting development, first reported on Tuesday by the Financial Times, considering the American would need to sell his stake in Crystal Palace, acquired in 2015, for a deal to happen. No bid has been made yet and the speed with which Chelsea’s ownership is expected to change hands makes it an unlikely option. He is the managing owner of NBA team Philadelphia 76ers.
Jamie Reuben
The 34-year-old financier is in a similar position to Harris: he would need to relinquish his minor stake in Newcastle United to purchase Chelsea. He does have proven experience in football boardrooms, though, having been a director of Queen’s Park Rangers before taking up a stake Newcastle earlier this season as part of the Saudi-led group that replaced Mike Ashley.
Nick Candy
The property developer has been a fan of the club since four years old, according to his spokesman, and would place redeveloping Stamford Bridge at the heart of his plans to buy the club. But he does not have the funds to go it alone and will need to partner up with someone else to put in a serious bid.
Robert ‘Woody’ Johnson
To a British audience he is perhaps best known as the US ambassador to this country during Donald Trump’s presidency but in America the 74-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson empire has a dismal reputation as one of the worst owners in sport. The NFL’s Jets have not even made the play-offs in 11 years, a remarkable drought considering how the sport’s cyclical structure. They are a laughing stock.
Vivek Ranadive
Like Johnson, another US sports team owner with a bad reputation. The Indian-born technology investor has been owner of the Sacramento Kings since 2013 and throughout that duration they have consistently been among the NBA’s worst teams. Reports from sportico said the 64-year-old, who like Wyss has made donations to the Democrats in America, is interested but there is no indication of a definite bid.
What are your thoughts on Chelsea's prospective new owners? Have your say below
Someone else?
It would be no surprise to see the new owner spring from nowhere because typically these things are done under complete secrecy, tied up in non-disclosure agreements and legal red tape. Anyone taking someone like Conor McGregor seriously, meanwhile, needs to give their head a good shake.
