Friday signifies a key date for Chelsea and the future of the west London club, with a 9pm deadline today for any interested party eyeing a takeover to express their intentions of bidding.
Whether that entails any confirmed deals or not remains to be seen but either way, the future of the west London club could very much depend on what interested parties come forwards. Even ahead of the deadline, a number of potential bidders have expressed their interest and could be set to succeed Roman Abramovich as the club’s new owner.
With that being said, football.london has taken a close look at all of the potential takeover contenders ahead of the 9pm deadline.
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Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly consortium
One of the first parties to express their efforts in taking over Chelsea, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American businessman Todd Boehly have got a team of backers together to put together a consortium. It is understood that they have been joined by a number of other interested investors. Whether they lodge their intentions to go through with a takeover ahead of Friday’s deadline remains to be seen.
Nick Candy
An intriguing option regarding Chelsea’s future, property developer Candy is a lifetime Blues’ fan. He has reportedly teamed up with former Chelsea player and manager Gianluca Vialli. However, it has not been confirmed yet whether the pair have bid for the club.
The British property developer said this to Sky Sports at the weekend: "I've supported Chelsea since I was the age of four. My dad was asked to play for Chelsea. I love Chelsea. I don't mind where it ends up, even if it's not with me, as long as it's in safe hands."
Sir Martin Broughton
As well as Candy, Sir Martin Broughton is already a potential contender to complete a takeover, as well as also being a life-long fan of the west London club. Lord Sebastian Coe confirmed he is helping Broughton with his bid and backed the former Liverpool chairman to take over from Abramovich. Again, it is unclear over whether he has lodged a bid yet in an effort to take over the Blues.
The Ricketts family
The Ricketts family already have major experience within sport having already owned the Chicago Cubs. They are set to be backed by Ken Griffin, a hedge fund billionaire. According to Forbes, Griffin's net worth is a whopping $28.1billion (£21.3million).
Aethel Partners
London investment firm Aethel Partners have made a £2billion offer to buy Chelsea, as reported on Thursday afternoon. The company would put £50m forward to help the financial strain at the club right now.
As well as this, they are said to be willing to offer full backing to manager Thomas Tuchel. They also have plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge on its current site.
Saudi Media
Since Roman Abramovich announced his intentions to sell Chelsea, it has been rumoured that there could well be Saudi Arabian interest in the club. The main contenders from that corner of the globe are believed to be Saudi Media.
However, any deal appears to be tricky considering the complexities of proving that they have no affiliation with the Saudi state or Newcastle United’s current owners.
John Terry
Interestingly, the former Chelsea captain has emerged as a surprise contender to bid for the club, although not as part of the initial, process.. According to Goal, a group led by Terry are getting a consortium together to buy a 10% stake in the club from any future owner.
