The Ricketts family have confirmed their intention to buy Chelsea.
The owners of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs broke their silence over a prospective bid ahead of Friday’s deadline for offers.
They are joining forces with hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin in a bid to beat off competition from New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and a consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly.
In a statement they said: “The Ricketts Family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, can confirm they will be leading an investment group that will make a formal bid for Chelsea Football Club this Friday.
“As long-time operators of an iconic professional sports team, the Ricketts Family and their partners understand the importance of investing for success on the pitch, while respecting the traditions of the club, the fans and the community.
“We look forward to sharing further details of our plans in due course.”
Meanwhile, property tycoon Nick Candy has dismissed claims he was in talks with Boehly about joining Hansjorg Wyss and Jonathan Goldstein as part of their consortium, which has already tabled a bid in the region of £2-2.5billion.
He insisted he would not be part of any group that involved a lifelong Tottenham fan, which was a reference to property developer Goldstein.
A spokesperson said: “There are no talks underway with Nick Candy and the Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein consortium, not least because Mr Candy does not want a lifelong Spurs fan as part of the future ownership of Chelsea Football Club.”
