Raine Group have reportedly been pressing the remaining contenders in the race to complete a takeover of Chelsea as a deal edges into view. Roman Abramovich signalled his intention to sell the west London club early last month, with a number of groups reportedly interested in completing a move.
A consortium spearheaded by Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss remains in the running, whilst Sir Martin Broughton has also signalled his intentions to become the club’s next owner. Meanwhile, Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca has also been named as one of the preferred bidders so it remains to be seen whether any of the interested parties can complete a deal sooner rather than later.
One contender has already fallen by the wayside in the race for the Blues, with the Ricketts family having already signalled their intentions to drop out of the race. Now, it appears that Raine have made an effort to edge the process along.
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According to Sky News, the facilitators have been in touch with the remaining consortia regarding takeover information. As per the reports, several requests have been lodged regarding details on investment and the administration of the west London club.
It is further detailed that Raine have requested that each of the three remaining interested parties provide guarantees of at least £1billion of investment into the club including infrastructure, academy and women’s teams. The news emerges as sports stars Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams are interested in investing in Chelsea.
It has been suggested that they could join the bid fronted by Sir Martin Broughton, with the Formula 1 driver having expressed his excitement at joining the club.
Speaking at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he said: "It's the biggest sport in the world and Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the most successful. When I heard about this opportunity I was like, 'Wow', this is one of the greatest opportunities to be a part of something."
