It has been revealed that Saudi investor Amr Zedan is one of several parties to bid for Chelsea this month, with Roman Abramovich keen to sell as soon as possible.
The Blues are currently operating under a special licence due to sanctions being imposed on Russian businessman Abramovich. The 55-year-old, who acquired the Stamford Bridge outfit in 2003, has ties with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President that is orchestrating the invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions mean that Chelsea cannot sell new tickets, merchandise or spend over the odds on travel to away fixtures. But it is expected that those restrictions will be lifted once a sale is completed for the club.
AP News have revealed that the newest bigger for the London side is Zedan, who has registered his big with Raine Group – who are in charge of getting a sale over the line. Zedan is chairman of the Zedan Group, who are involved in the energy sector in Saudi Arabia.
Zedan is married to a member of the Jordan Royal Family, Princess Noor Bint Asem. The couple tied the knot at the Dead Sea in Jordan in 2018 and have two children named Talal and Abdullah.
Away from his engineering business, Zedan has a fond interest in horse racing and polo. The 47-year-old is chairman of the Saudi Polo Federation and also sits on the board of directors of the Saudi Supreme Equestrian Authority, though his biggest passion is thought to be racing.
Zedan has a thoroughbred racing stable in America, aptly named Zedan Racing Stables, which has enjoyed plenty of success since it was founded in 2016. However, the highs have been somewhat tarnished after his 2021 Kentucky Derby -winning horse, Medina Spirit, failed a post-race drugs test.
Medina Spirit battled well under jockey John Velazquez to win the race by half-a-length at odds of 12/1 but was soon stripped of the title. Zedan has not been linked with the doping scandal; but the colt’s trainer, Bob Baffert, was subsequently banned from entering horses into the prestigious race for two years.
It remains to be seen whether Zedan comes out on top in the inevitable bidding war for Chelsea and is able to add another string to his bow in terms of sports. The Los Angeles-born businessman will face stiff competition from London property developer Nick Candy, who has been public in how keen he is to acquire the club.
Candy has already sung the praises of manager Thomas Tuchel for how he has dealt with the ongoing uncertainty behind the scenes, potentially warning other clubs away from the German boss if his bid is successful. He said, via The Sun : “Thomas Tuchel has done an incredible job at a very difficult time in the last few weeks.
“He’s spoken brilliantly, behaved brilliantly and is a true gent. It’s one thing being a great manager, it’s a different thing being a great human being. But he’s proven that he’s not just a great manager but a brilliant human being.
“He’s got the respect of the media, he’s got the respect of the players, he’s got the respect of the fans, so all credit to him.”
