Chelsea's Supporters' Trust have revealed they met with representatives from Ineos in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's bid for Chelsea but have admitted they have concerns over the group's ability to complete a takeover before May 31st, the current deadline.
Todd Boehly's bid is currently under a period of exclusivity after being selected by Raine Group ahead of rival bids from Martin Broughton and Stephen Pagliuca, with an expectation they will be able to seal a deal for the club. The Blues' special operating licence, which has allowed the club to see out the season despite sanctions placed upon Roman Abramovich, is set to expire at the end of May.
Despite that progress, Ratcliffe and Ineos put in a late bid for ownership of Chelsea, though it appears they have received little in the way of response from Raine. Ratcliffe, however, has proved a determined figure with public statements from the group and a BBC interview after conversations with the Government.
READ MORE: Chelsea sale: Breakdown of Jim Ratcliffe's interview as Todd Boehly takeover nears completion
The supporters' trust did not comment on the merits of the bid but highlighted their primary concern was getting a deal done in time to secure the club's future.
The Supporters' Trust statement read: Today (5th May), representatives of the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) board met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's team at Ineos. This followed brief discussions held between the CST and Sir Jim himself over the weekend.
The CST is grateful to Ineos for their transparency throughout discussions. We welcome as with other remaining bids, their commitment to engage on the trust's expectations of any new owners, including on the introduction of measures to protect the club's heritage and ensure supporter sentiment is represented.
"Regardless of the potential merits of the bid - on which we make no further comment - the CST outlined our concerns regarding Ineos' ability to complete the purchase of the Chelsea Football Club before the 31st May deadline. This is particularly so given, by their own admission, they are outside of the process and have been, according to reports, 'rejected out of hand' by Raine. We would welcome further discussion in the even that situation chances.
"We note reports that the bid led by Todd Boehly, with whom we have also held productive discussions, is in exclusive negotiations for the purchase of Chelsea FC. It is essential that the sale of Chelsea FC is completed swiftly and transparently. We urge the current ownership, Raine and the UK Government to ensure this happens.
"Any delay to this process could risk the future of Chelsea FC - all parties must ensure the sustainability and future of the club is safeguarded.
"We are hopeful that an agreement with prospective owners will be struck soon, and we look forward to engaging on the implementation of our expectations immediately once an agreement has been confirmed.
"The CST also notes recent reports with regard to the allocation of proceeds of sale. We note the current Chelsea owners stated intention for proceeds to go victims of the war in Ukraine and recent suggestions that some of the proceeds could go elsewhere, such as grassroots football. It is the CST board's firm view that the proceeds of sale if any, should be allocated to victims of the war in Ukraine."
