Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS plan to invest £1.75 billion into Chelsea over a period of 10 years if their late bid for the club is successful. Ratcliffe announced an offer had been placed on Friday, weeks after the initial deadline that saw consortiums from Todd Boehly, Martin Broughton and Stephen Pagliuca chosen to advance in the bidding process that The Raine Group have facilitated.
In a statement released, INEOS have announced their plans to invest in the Blues to ensure a 'first-class squad' for both the men's and women's teams, as well as continued investment in the club's Cobham academy. The future of Stamford Bridge has been among the high-profile components of all bids thus far, with INEOS planning to make it a 'world-class' stadium by renovating Chelsea's home as an ongoing project so that the team are not required to relocate elsewhere.
Reports suggest that members of this latest bid are yet to reach out to the likes of the Chelsea Pitch Owners or the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, who have both been involved in discussions with other prospective owners. Furthermore, INEOS already own French club Nice, who are in contention to finish third in Ligue 1 this season and enter the third Champions League qualifying round. Under UEFA multi-club regulations, Chelsea and Nice wouldn't both be able to play in the competition in the same season under the same ownership.
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INEOS' statement read: "Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, has made a formal bid for Chelsea FC, for £4.25bn. £2.5bn is committed to the charitable trust to support victims of the war, with £1.75bn committed to invest directly into the club over the next 10 years.
"This is a British bid, for a British club.
"We believe that a club is bigger than its owners, who are temporary custodians of a great tradition, With a responsibility to the fans and the community.
"That is why we are committing to spending £1.75bn over 10 years that will be for the direct benefit of the club. We will invest in Stamford Bridge to make it a world-class stadium, befitting of Chelsea FC. This will be organic and ongoing so that we will not move away from the home of Chelsea and risk losing the support of loyal fans.
"We will continue to invest in the team to ensure we have a first-class squad of the world's greatest players, coaches and support staff, in the men's and women's games.
"And we hope to continue to invest in the academy to provide the opportunity for talented youngsters to develop into first-class players.
"We believe that London should have a club that reflects the stature of the city. One that is held in the same regard as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich. We intend Chelsea to be that club.
"We are making this investment as fans of the beautiful game – not as a means to turn a profit. We do that with our core business. The club is rooted in its community and its fans. And it is our intention to invest in Chelsea FC for that reason. No further comment will be made from Sir Jim or INEOS during the bidding process."
