The front-runners in the race to buy Chelsea FC are still on tenterhooks waiting to discover whether they will make the shortlist of preferred bidders.
Todd Boehly’s consortium, Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family and Sir Martin Broughton’s offering are understood to remain favourites to be included on the shortlist.
New York merchant bank Raine Group informed a clutch of suitors on Thursday that their candidacy had been unsuccessful, the PA news agency understands.
Saudi Media Group and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson are understood to be among those who have already been informed they are out of the race.
LA Dodgers part-owner Boehly, Cubs chief Tom Ricketts and former Liverpool chairman Broughton are now thought to be at the top of the pile of suitors to buy the Blues.
But the Raine Group has yet to confirm the shortlist of preferred bidders that will go through to the next stage of the sale process.
British property developer Nick Candy’s Blue Football Consortium appeared a long-shot to make the shortlist by Thursday night.
But Candy’s bid and the consortium offering from London-based global investment firm Centricus still had a chance of progression should Raine have opted for a four-strong shortlist.
The New York bank is expected to finalise that list on Friday, with both the Premier League and UK Government holding influence over the final sale.
Roman Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on March 2 amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian-Israeli billionaire was then sanctioned by the Government on March 10, with Downing Street claiming to have proven his links to Vladimir Putin.
The Blues must operate under strict Government licence, with Abramovich unable to profit from Chelsea’s sale.
Downing Street must approve another new licence to authorise Chelsea’s eventual sale, with the money either frozen or distributed to charitable funds to aid victims of the war in Ukraine.
Abramovich has pledged to write off Chelsea’s £1.5billion debt, and the bidding frenzy for the club could see the eventual deal hit £3bn.
