Today marks the final day candidates can submit their final bids to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich. A dramatic saga is finally set to draw to a close on Thursday. It has been two months since Roman Abramovich put the Blues up for sale ahead of their FA Cup clash with Luton Town and the final days of his reign are now upon us.
Only four bidders made it through the first stage of the process. The initial deadline for final offers was set for Monday, April 11, but that was pushed back by Raine Group, the bank advising on the takeover, allowing candidates to fine-tune their approach and bring on extra support where necessary.
Todd Boehly, a part-owner of Major League Baseball side LA Dodgers, is leading a consortium considered by many to be the frontrunner in the takeover race. He is joined by majority Dodgers owner Mark Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss.
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The most controversial candidate remains the Ricketts family. While Joe Ricketts hasn't involved himself in the bid, past comments from the family's most senior member on Muslims have left many Chelsea supporters uncomfortable with the prospect of being owned by them.
Another consortium comes in the form of Sir Martin Broughton's. The British Airways chief and former Liverpool chairman is backed in his pursuit by Josh Harris and David Blitzer and has brought Lord Sebastien Coe on board for added advice and the perspective of a Chelsea fan.
The final man aiming to make the Blues his own is Boston Celtics owner Stephen Pagliuca. He, too, has recently sought added support for his bid with former Walt Disney chief Bob Iger targeted, while a recent statement revealed Chelsea legend John Terry had thrown his support behind Pagliuca.
However, one of the primary concerns from Chelsea fans is not just who buys the club but how it is bought. They have watched on as the Glazier family saddled Manchester United with huge amounts of debt during their takeover, and it is something many have been desperate to avoid in west London.
The Times reported on Thursday that all four bidders had agreed to cash-only purchases of the clubs. This means no loans will be taken out to finance the move and placed against the Blues in a revelation that will no doubt be a relief to many. The report states that how each move is funded could be key in settling who ultimately wins the race.
