What had started off as a packed field has now been whittled down to the final three as the runners and riders vying to complete a takeover of Chelsea edge closer to the finishing line.
Ever since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine sparked international outrage and led to countries imposing sanctions on Russian businesses and oligarchs, Chelsea have been in disarray off the field after their long time owner Roman Abramovich had his hand forced and had to give up the club that he arrived at back in 2003, a club where he changed the course of the Premier League and its relationship with the transfer market.
Chelsea were willing spenders on wages and transfer fees, and while Abramovich's tenure at the club that spanned almost two decades delivered two Champions League titles, five Premier League titles and five FA Cup triumphs there is little doubt that without the willingness of Abramovich to underwrite the losses to the tune of £1.5bn then the playing field would have altered somewhat. Abramovich, whose historic close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin made him a target for sanctions from UK Government, has agreed to write off those debts, but with football having had to ask itself some difficult questions around where the money comes from and how it can be impacted by geo-political factors at play at any given time, finding another Abramovich is not as easy as it was.
