Roman Abramovich has made the decision to end his 19-year ownership of Chelsea and it appears there is no shortage of suitors.
Rumours of a sale grew in strength after Abramovich announced that he was planning to pass the 'stewardship' of the club onto Chelsea's foundation and just days later the Blues owner confirmed his intention to sell the club.
In a statement announcing his decision Abramovich said: "I would like to address the speculation in media over the past few days in relation to my ownership of Chelsea FC. As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners.
"The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid. This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club.
"Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.
"Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the Club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club.
"I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements. Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart."
A number of interested parties have announced their intention to take over from Abramovich, while those behind other potential bids have been named in the media.
The 55-year-old Russian is reported to be hoping to sell to a group that will continue his investment in the current Chelsea squad.
A deadline of 15 March for bids to be submitted, with US financial firm the Raine Group looking after the selling process. The consortium including Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss are reported to have already submitted their package.
football.london looks at those who could meet that deadline so far:
Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss
Perhaps the earliest names to be linked with making their move after Wyss told Blick that he is forming a consortium with three American businessmen. Boehly is one of those figures have previously failed in an attempt to buy the Blues in 2019.
Boehly, the founder and CEO of investment firm Eldridge Industries, owns stakes in the baseball club LA Dodgers and the basketball franchise LA Lakers.
Wyss boasts a fortune of £3.8 billion according to Forbes, while Boehly is estimated to have £4.72 billion.
Blick's Nicola Imfeld reports that the Swiss-American consortium have submitted a bid as of Tuesday, for the Blues and now await a response.
Saudi Media
Private consortium Saudi Media have registered their interest in purchasing the club.
Chairman of the group Mohamed Al-Khereiji has already been present at Stamford Bridge this season when Chelsea welcomed Manchester United.
Saudi Media are a group that focus on funding media, sporting brands and advertising across the world. They are generally involved in the pan-Arab broadcasting market, with the company owning offices in Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
Vivek Ranadivé
Sportico report that Vivek Ranadive is preparing a bid for Chelsea.
The Indian already owns the Sacramento Kings having made his fortune in the technology industry. Having purchased the basketball team in 2013 for $534 million (£408m) , they are now believe to be worth in excess of $2 billion |(£1.5bn).
Reports suggest the tech mogul is worth in the region of £533.9 million but holds an active role within the NBA, sitting on committees, such as the blockchain advisory board and social justice coalition, that influence the long-term direction of the league.
Muhsin Bayrak
Muhsin Bayrak is chairman of the board of AB Group Holding, a business involved in a number of different industries including cryptocurrency, construction, tourism and energy sectors and based in Turkey.
Bayrak wasted little time before telling the media that he was in negotiations to purchase the Blues.
Speaking in an interview with Turkish outlet Yeni Safak, Bayrak suggested terms were being discussed with Roman Abramovich's lawyers.
Since then he has spoken to Oda TV and said (via Sport Witness): “We have reached a certain stage. Our law and finance department will start talks with theirs in London on Thursday. That’s the way it is at this point. On Thursday, we will notify the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP). People are talking about it, we made some progress in the talks, and the world believes we have a 90% chance of completing the deal. Abramovich thinks the same.”
He further suggest their offer is below £2.5 billion.
Bayrak added: “I won’t tell you. We need to manage this process very well, or we will lose. There are countries in the world that don’t want Turkey to buy it. Let’s keep this a little secret. Let’s get the consent by Thursday.
“We didn’t give that price (£2.5bn) to the British press. Our offer is under that, I’ll at least say that.”
Some reports have suggested that Bayrak’s net worth sits at $11billion (£8.3billion), although that is not verified by Forbes.
Woody Johnson
ESPN reports that New York Jets owner Robert 'Woody' Johnson has also registered his interest with the Raine Group and is preparing a bid.
The 74-year-old has lived in London in the past after serving as the US ambassador in the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021.
Reports suggest he became a fan of the club and supporters, while the Jets have recently been awarded marketing rights to the NFL's UK International Home Marketing Areas program.
Bloomberg report the American's net worth as £4.32 billion and he is the heir to the Johnson & Johnson consumer products fortune.
Nick Candy
Nick Candy is a British businessman who made his money in property alongside his brother Christian, establishing Candy & Candy in 1999, before it was renamed Candy Property in 2018, when Nick took sole ownership.
Candy, who was educated at Epsom College, has been involved in the developments of One Hyde Park, NoHo Square and the redevelopment of the former Chelsea Barracks.
The 49-year-old is said to be worth £833 million and would look to form a consortium to make an offer. Candy is also said to be a lifelong Chelsea supporter.
Thomas Ricketts
Another American sports team owner that the Blues appear to be drawing interest from.
Thomas Ricketts owns the Chicago Cubs and founded Incapital LLC, a security firm with a net worth of £1.9 billion.
The Ricketts family previously expressed interest in purchasing a stake in AC Milan in 2018, while current links to Chelsea could see them under pressure after saying they could not re-sign stars facing free agency for the Cubs.
The family's bid has been linked to Ken Griffin, one of the wealthiest executives in American hedge fund industry, though the connection appears unverified.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor was quick to announce his own interest in becoming involved at Chelsea, and while many may have considered it a publicity stunt, the MMA star has maintained his position.
"I do not speak in jest," McGregor tweeted.
"I am exploring this, as I said. Celtic from Dermot Desmond, Manchester United from the Glazers, and now the recently up for sale Chelsea football club. All being explored.
"A football franchise purchase is in my future, make no mistake about it."
Even with the fortune McGregor made from Proper 12, his personal wealth would of course not be enough to launch a bid for the club. Sky Sports report that the Irishman's management company, Paradigm Sports, is working with McGregor Sports and Entertainment and Empowerment IP capital on a bid.
