Chelsea's takeover has been reportedly held up over worries about Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were put up for sale by owner Roman Abramovich at the beginning of March, just days before he was sanctioned by the UK government for allegedly having ties with Vladimir Putin, something he denies. Russian president Putin is currently waging a violent and unprovoked war in neighbouring Ukraine, a sovereign state.
It's imperative Chelsea are sold sooner rather than later, as they are currently operating under a special license due to the sanctions imposed on Abramovich. Their revenue streams have been severely limited, putting them at risk of financial collapse.
The reigning European champions are also unable to buy or sell players because of the restrictions. As a result, defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christiansen are expected to leave Stamford Bridge when their respective deals expire in June.
The three consortiums remaining in the running to purchase Chelsea are former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton's - which involves Sir Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams - one led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, and that of Atalanta co-owner Steve Pagliuca.
US merchant bank the Raine Group were expected to announce their preferred bidder this month but, according to the Mail on Sunday, that announcement could be delayed due to concerns over the future of Stamford Bridge.
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The three remaining consortiums are believed to be adding up the cost of renovating the ageing stadium or moving to a new home. Abramovich was planning on redeveloping the 40,853-seater ground before shelving proposals in 2018.
"Without moving the stadium, the sums don't work," said a Mail source. "They're private equity guys and want to make a profit in the long term. No matter how glamorous the trophies are, the sums don't work without moving the stadium if the deal is for £2.5billion."
The source added: "They will probably knock the price down. Everyone's talking about it, it's just no one's talking about in the public domain."
The Raine Group are now expected to eliminate one of the remaining bidders this month rather than name their preferred candidate. Rumours suggest Pagliuca's consortium could make way due to them "not offering anything new" in the negotiations.
The future of Stamford Bridge is believed to be an important topic of conversation. The ground has been Chelsea's home since the club was formed in 1905 and looks old fashioned when compared to the newer homes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City.
The delay will concern Tuchel, who needs to enter the transfer market this summer to replace the likes of Rudiger. He will not be able to do so if the takeover drags on and may be forced to consider his future if he doesn't have the resources needed to compete.
Broughton's group are believed to be making "the right moves" - yet Boehly has added ex-chancellor George Osborne to his consortium, which could prove decisive. The government will need to approve the takeover due to sanctions imposed on Abramovich.
A source noted: "How will Rishi Sunak, who's making the decision, feel about the inclusion of the ex-chancellor? It doesn't look good compared to the alternative, a diverse ownership group with the great and the good of Britain on board."
Previous reports suggested the government will not stand in the way of any of the remaining consortiums. The takeover will also need to be approved by the Premier League and Abramovich - yet they aren't expected to block a takeover, either.
