Potential new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was seen on the pitch talking to Chelsea players after their penultimate Premier League game on Sunday. Chelsea defeated Watford after a late Ross Barkley goal secured the points to end what has been a rollercoaster season for Thomas Tuchel's side.
After the game, Boehly was seen speaking to Cesar Azpilicueta and a number of Chelsea players - which could suggest the takeover could be completed soon. The group led by Boehly and Clearlake Capital could be confirmed as new Chelsea owners as early as next week ahead of a £4billion takeover of the Blues.
Sky News report that discussions are underway over clauses that would see the new owners of Chelsea unable to profit by paying dividends or management fees for a decade.
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Boehly was also seen talking to Thomas Tuchel after the game, as he witnessed his first win at Stamford Bridge.
It is now said as part of negotiations that Chelsea's advisers would hope to see measures that would prohibit any sale of shares until 2032 and limits on the debt that could be taken on, in addition to those around dividends. All prospective bidders also had to commit to a minimum investment of £1billion in the stadium, academy and women's team.
And earlier today, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs stated that Chelsea are confident of confirming the Clearlake-Boehly takeover by the middle of next week.
Jacobs said: "Fans hoping for an announcement to coincide with the end of the season will probably have to wait a little longer. Despite naturally wanting the sale done as soon as possible, no formal deadline before May 31 has been established and I am told (again) things remains on track.
"Fans hoping for an announcement to coincide with the end of the season will probably have to wait a little longer. Despite naturally wanting the sale done as soon as possible, no formal deadline before May 31 has been established and I am told (again) things remains on track.
"PR plans for the announcement have been discussed by all parties. Trivago’s “scheduling mistake” perhaps shows Chelsea originally hoped to confirm the sale last week, although sources officially deny this with one telling me “late May was always our realistic plan.
"Important to note, even if everything went smoothly, to get from purchase agreement to formal sale (inc. transfer of funds) in a matter of weeks is very quick. Chelsea sale may be seen as chaotic (it’s certainly been dramatic). But to get it done before May 31 is pretty incredible."
