After almost three weeks of intense scrutiny and speculation, things are about to get even more serious in Chelsea 's takeover saga.
With Roman Abramovich out of control at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 19 years, having been sanctioned by the UK government due to his links to Vladimir Putin amid the war in Ukraine, the Blues' future is on the line. And after the clock stuck 9pm on Friday, with it came the deadline for bidders to make an offer.
It is believed that there were more than 20 credible parties interested in buying the club that was purchased by Abramovich in 2003 for £140million. But with both the British government and Premier League needing to give the green light towards the prospective owners' offers, who has held their nerve and tabled a bid? Mirror Football takes a look.
Wyss-Boehly-Goldstein consortium
When Abramovich made the announcement more than a fortnight ago that he would indeed be selling Chelsea, one of the first names to publicly confirm their interest was Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss - but he admitted that he would need help. The 86-year-old soon teamed up with LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, who had a £2.2billion offer rejected by Abramovich three years ago.
The came Jonathan Goldstein, who attempted to buy Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, the club he notably supports. The trio have been widely considered the frontrunners throughout the race and reportedly secured funding for a £2.5bn offer, with American PR executive Barbara Charone and Conservative advisor Daniel Finkelstein endorsing their bid.
Nick Candy
Speaking of those close to London, Nick Candy is a boyhood Blues fan who has made it his ambition to own the club after Abramovich's ties to Putin came to light. A regular at Stamford Bridge, the British property developer teamed up with former Chelsea striker and manager Gianluca Vialli, later hiring the Italian's investment company, Tifosy Capital & Advisory, to prepare a formal offer of around £2.5bn, as Vialli gave his seal of approval to Candy.
"I have met Nick Candy on a number of occasions over the last few weeks and I am fully behind his visions and commitment to make Chelsea the most globally recognised and supported club in the world, as well as maintaining the ongoing success on the pitch," the 57-year-old said in a statement. It was reported on Friday that Candy had created 'The Blue Football Consortium', having partnered with C&P Sports Group and Hana Financial Group, who previously confirmed their intention to make separates offers.
The Ricketts family
Wednesday was a big day in the tussle for the Stamford Bridge keys, as two established sporting parties entered the fray. First up came the owners of the Chicago Cubs, the Ricketts family. Having purchased the American baseball giants for £650million 13 years ago, the family - spearheaded by chairman Tom - have quadrupled the value of their franchise while ending a 108-year wait for a World Series title, albeit not by splashing the cash Abramovich-style, employing a much more conservative strategy.
The Ricketts joined forced with acclaimed hedge fund manager and Citadel owner Ken Griffin to boost their chances, with his fortune estimated to an eye-watering £21bn and being a go-to donor for the big wigs of the Republican Party hoping to make political waves in the United States.
Coe-Broughton consortium
Later on Wednesday came two recognisable names to British sport fans, as Lord Sebastian Coe and ex- Liverpool chief Sir Martin Broughton confirmed their partnership - but did not disclose where their funds were coming from. Broughton, also known for his time as British Airways chairman, was brought to Anfield to facilitate the sale of Liverpool to Fenway Sports Group in 2010.
He is also a Blues fan, like Coe, president of World Athletics. The man who masterminded the London 2012 Olympic Games already has connections to the current regime, boasting a close relationship with Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, and the Telegraph have reported that their bid made the deadline. Interestingly, Coe served as a Conservative MP for five years between 1992 and 1997.
The Times add that his consortium would have support in Downing Street thanks to his links with Boris Johnson, ex-Mayor of London and current Prime Minister. And their hopes were boosted further by partnering with Joshua Harris, owner of basketball side Philadelphia 76ers and hockey outfit the New Jersey Devils, and his investment partner David Blitzer, according to CBS Sports.
Aethel Partners
As much lesser-known candidates, private equity firm Aethel Partners made a pledge with their bid of £2billion, hoping to win over Blues supporters. On top of £50m immediately going towards helping the club cope with any sanction-induced cash-flow problems, Aethel made it clear that they were determed to keep hold of manager Thomas Tuchel after links to Manchester United.
Tuchel has been the subject of strong interest from Old Trafford in the Red Devils' search for a new manager, although he recently committed his future - at least until the end of the season. Aethel also have a headquarters in London and were founded in 2014 by Portuguese businessman Ricardo Santos Silva and American Aba Schubert.
Saudi Media Group
Expected to be the biggest bid of them all, an offer of £2.7bn was lodged from the Middle East earlier this week. Saudi Media Group are owned by Mohamed Alkhereiji, who claims to have developed an affinity for the Blues while he worked as an analyst for Deutsche Bank in London after studying in the capital.
Any takeover from Saudi Arabia would come with plenty of criticism, however, as demonstrated by the backlash which followed Newcastle United's long-awaited purchase, which took 17 weeks to be finalised by the Premier League, and still persists today in relation to the country's human rights record.
Mushin Bayrak
Another relatively early entry was Turkish billionaire Mushin Bayrak, who rather boldly claimed that he was "negotiating signatures" to complete a takeover two weeks ago. Bayrak is chairman of construction and investment company AB Group Holding and boasts a reported net worth of more than £8billion. "We will soon fly the Turkish flag in London" was Bayrak's message, although little has followed.
Woody Johnson
Donald Trump 's trusted friend, Woody Johnson, was yet another US-based party interested in taking over at Stamford Bridge. Tipped to launch a £2bn bid on Tuesday, The Sun reported that Johnson, 74, was confident that he could win the race thanks to his extensive London links and hoped to bring the Chelsea further into the American market.
Bernard Antwi Boasiako
Ghanaian business tycoon Bernard Antwi Boasiako confirmed his intention to make an offer to the Daily Mail this week, with a spokesperson noting that he has an 'emotional attachment' to the Blues as a result of their African success stories under Abramovich, such as fan favourite striker Didier Drogba and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Boasiako also pledged an intriguing offer for younger Chelsea fans, to make special concessions for children aged 10 and under attending matches at Stamford Bridge, with a view to nurturing a family atmosphere and create a long lasting legacy in west London.
Tal Ben Haim's Gulf-based billionaire
A rogue entry just hours before Friday's deadline was a Gulf-based billionaire who was being aided by former Blues defender Tal Ben Haim in his push. TalkSPORT claimed that the ex-full-back was brokering a deal for the unnamed billionaire, who submitted a £2billion offer and promised a further £500million in funds.
Join the debate! Who would be the best owner for Chelsea? Give us your pick here.
What happens next?
That is the question in a post-deadline world. Well, Raine Group, a US bank, has been overseeing the sale process and are tasked with making a decision on the preferred bidder. The government will step in as soon as they have received satisfactory evidence that Abramovich will not make any financial gain.
Once Downing Street give the all clear, the prospective buyer must pass the Premier League 's Owners' and Directors' Test before completing one of the most walked-about takeovers in English football history.
