American billionaire Todd Boehly is reportedly feeling positive that a deal can be done for the acquisition of Chelsea, despite the sanctions against Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea's owner was added to the list of individuals sanctioned by the British Government on Thursday, severely restricting the club's business as they are forced to operate on a new licence until at least May 31.
Ticket sales have been frozen with only those holding season tickets eligible to attend home fixtures, while the club shop is staying closed.
Players cannot be signed or sold by Chelsea either, though manager Thomas Tuchel is not thought to be considering his own future, despite reports to the contrary .
Abramovich can still sell his 100 per cent stake in Chelsea despite all the red tape, however, the destination of any funds accrued from a deal would be at the jurisdiction of the government.
The situation is fast-moving and many aspects of Chelsea’s situation remain up in the air, but Boehly’s confidence in buying the club reportedly remains undented.
Boehly leads a consortium with Swiss businessman Hansjorg Wyss and is thought to be considered as a strong candidate due to his involvement in sports franchises as part-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team and LA Lakers basketball team.
According to The Telegraph , the consortium feels they would be given the green light by the government and the Premier League to successfully complete their takeover.
Boehly’s group have already made an official bid for Chelsea for between £2billion and £2.5bn and, despite Thursday’s news, it remains on the table.
He is far from the only interested party, with the report stating that Raine, the New York-based merchant bank tasked with overseeing the sale, has been contacted by around 150 different parties.
Of those, there are three American bidders considered to be the most serious: Boehly and Wyss’ consortium, the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs baseball team, and the owner of the New York Jets, Woody Johnson.
Raine has a deadline of Tuesday for the first bids to come in, but the fact Chelsea are still seeking guidance from the government over the Abramovich sanctions suggests there are still many hurdles to clear.
"Chelsea Football Club has been advised that its owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government,” Chelsea said in a statement.
"By virtue of his 100 per cent ownership of Chelsea FC plc and affiliated entities, Chelsea FC would normally be subject to the same sanctions regime as Mr Abramovich.
"However, the UK Government has issued a general licence that permits Chelsea FC to continue certain activities.
"We will fulfil our men’s and women’s team fixtures today against Norwich and West Ham, respectively, and intend to engage in discussions with the UK Government regarding the scope of the licence.
"This will include seeking permission for the licence to be amended in order to allow the club to operate as normal as possible.
"We will also be seeking guidance from the UK Government on the impact of these measures on the Chelsea Foundation and its important work in our communities.
"The club will update further when it is appropriate to do so."
