Stamford Bridge is set to be key in the race to buy Chelsea, with bidders now fine-tuning their moves for the European champions.
Plans for the stadium and a guarantee of £1billion worth of investment in the club are being demanded by US merchant bank Raine Group, who have drawn up a shortlist of four contenders.
Sir Martin Broughton, the Ricketts family, Todd Boehly and Stephen Pagliuca have all been given a deadline of April 11 to come up with their final offer to buy out Roman Abramovich.
And it is understood their vision for the Bridge, which is long overdue a rebuild, is seen as a potentially decisive factor in the selection process.
That would hand an advantage to the Ricketts family, who made renovation of the stadium a central point of their original proposal.
They have the huge financial might of US hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, who is worth around £20bn, behind their bid. And they also have the proven track record of having renovated the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field stadium.
The plans of Broughton, Boehly or Pagliuca regarding the Bridge are not yet clear, but the new deadline gives them the opportunity to formulate their visions for the ground.
Raine has told bidders that a sale could go through by the end of April, which would be remarkably quick. Experts in the field of such major acquisitions claim a minimum of six months would usually be required.
But the determination of Chelsea, the Government and the Premier League to push through a deal in the wake of Abramovich’s sanctions is clear.
The guarantee of an additional £1bn in funding is also intended to ensure the playing squad remains competitive at the highest level and includes development throughout the club.
So it is not a guarantee that the Bridge will be rebuilt, but evidence that the stadium is a big part of the process before a recommended buyer is presented to the Government.
That financial commitment should also be comforting for supporters, who are facing an uncertain future without Abramovich.
Those on the shortlist will now be given access to Chelsea’s “data room”, where they get to examine up-to-the-minute accounts, including the current wage bill.
They will also have the opportunity to meet key figures at the club, including chairman Bruce Buck, director Marina Granovskaia, chief executive Guy Lawrence and even manager Thomas Tuchel if desired.
Pagliuca, who owns the NBA’s Boston Celtics and Atalanta in Serie A, was a surprise inclusion on the shortlist, with his interest unknown until well after the deadline for initial bids.
There are questions over how he will continue to run two clubs who could meet each other in the Champions League if he is successful.
There are similar questions surrounding Broughton, with Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who own a stake in Crystal Palace, widely believed to be backing his bid.
The Ricketts’ have sought to quell unrest from sections of fans over their proposed takeover, but the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust have raised concerns over the family’s ability to run an “inclusive, successful club” following historic racist emails sent by their patriarch Joe Ricketts, who is not part of the bid.
