Former Chelsea and England players John Terry and Claire Rafferty are reportedly ready to front up a consortium in an attempt to launch a £250million bid to acquire a 10 per cent stake in the Premier League club.
The Blues were put up for sale by Roman Abramovich at the start of the month, with the Russian billionaire set to end his 19-year stay at Stamford Bridge. The 55-year-old has subsequently been sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Vladimir Putin, forcing the club to operate under strict financial regulations.
That new operating licence prohibits Abramovich from making any money from the sale, but the government is happy to allow a takeover in order for Chelsea to continue to have the ability to fulfil its fixtures and obligations. A number of parties are said to be in the running, with US merchant bank Raine Group facilitating the sale, along with the British government.
