Stephen Pagliuca has finally broken his silence to set out his blueprint for Chelsea if he is successful in his takeover of the Premier League club.
The 67-year-old is one of the four remaining bidders aiming to purchase Chelsea, and has promised to revamp Stamford Bridge - insisting Chelsea's "world-class fans" deserve a "world-class stadium" - and has vowed to "preserve the legacy and traditions of the club".
Pagliuca is the co-owner of NBA basketball team Boston Celtics and also purchased a 55 per cent stake in Serie A outfit Atalanta just two months ago. It's believed he would need to sell his share in the Italian club if he's named as the preferred bidder by the Raine Group, the New York merchant bank overseeing the sale.
Chelsea were put up for sale at the beginning of March, just days before current owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government for allegedly having ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin - something Abramovich denies.
As Abramovich's UK assets are frozen, a bid cannot proceed without approval from Boris Johnson and his colleagues. The government will issue a new treasury license when the preferred bidder - whom will also have to pass the Premier League's test - is confirmed.
Pagliuca's track record in the US is thought to be admired among government officials. Yet Johnson's cabinet are not expected to stand in the way of the other three bidders: Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family; American businessman Todd Boehly; and a British-based consortium led by Martin Broughton and Sebastian Coe.
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Chelsea are operating under a special license as a result of Abramovich's sanctions - severely limiting their revenue streams - and need to be sold sooner rather than later. The Raine Group are expected to announce their preferred bidder later this month.
"During this hugely significant week for Chelsea, we would first like to wish Thomas and the Chelsea squad the very best of luck ahead of tonight’s Champions League match against Real Madrid," reads Pagliuca's statement. "Having witnessed a great 6-0 win against Southampton last week, I hope to see a comeback for the ages against Real Madrid in the quarter-final second leg.
"This process has been a disconcerting time for the football club and fans. Throughout my life and career, my ethos has always been to operate quietly, with integrity, and let my actions and results speak loudly. However, it is imperative to clarify and assure supporters about our bid group and its commitments, to emphasise how seriously we take our potential responsibility to Chelsea.
"Our first focus and goal is to make strategic investments to continue competing for championships and trophies. We will support our players and managers to make sure that Chelsea are habitual winners and title contenders, whether in the Premier League, Champions League or the Women’s Super League [the only Super League we intend competing in, for the record].
"In addition, we will continue to invest in the youth academy to develop the stars of the future and we would not be in this process if we did not have an exciting and inclusive vision for Chelsea.
"Our second focus will be to continue to cherish and preserve the legacy and traditions of the club. In over 20 years of ownership of the Boston Celtics, we have not once considered changing the name, colours, or logo of the club. This is our guarantee to Chelsea fans.
"Not only are we committed to remaining at the home of Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, but we are inspired to renovate or redevelop the stadium. Chelsea is a world-class team, in a world-class city, with world-class fans: it deserves a world-class stadium.
"Our third focus will be having a significant positive impact in the community. We believe passionately that clubs have a social responsibility, and we will continue to support The Chelsea Foundation and its impressive work in education, health and wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion both locally and globally.
"Chelsea should be the Pride of London for its on and off-field accomplishments. It has fans all over the world and we will not tolerate bullying, anti-semitism, racism, or any other form of hateful speech - and neither should our fans.
"Ultimately, fans will see our commitment and, we hope, trust us to stay true to our values on and off the pitch. We understand the responsibilities that come with such an important sporting institution and hold ourselves accountable to the fans.
"Later this week, we will submit a substantial and credible bid proposal – one that we expect will meet the respective requirements and regulations of the Premier League, UK Government and UEFA – and we pledge to honour our commitment to credibility and good guardianship of Chelsea Football Club from day one."
