Roman Abramovich has already received over 300 expressions of interest to purchase Chelsea in the week since he announced his decision to sell the club after 19 years. The bidding war for Chelsea was kicked off with an offer of £2.5 billion (AU$4.5 billion), which was swiftly rejected by the Russian.
While many have suggested that Egyptian businessman Loutfy Mansour would be a good fit seeing how he’s a Chelsea season-ticket holder, his spokesman has stated that Mansour is not pursuing a bid. We also heard the likes of Conor McGregor chime in on social media with an offer of £1.5 billion (AU$2.6 billion). This article is not about either of them. Serious candidates only.
As we patiently wait out this £3 billion (AU$5.4 billion) bidding war for Chelsea, fans of the club can rest easy knowing that head coach Thomas Tuchel has already stated that he has no doubts about his future with the club. Now, let’s take a look at who Tuchel’s new boss might be.
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Chelsea FC Bidding War: The Key Players
Todd Boehly
Three years ago, Todd Boehly actually attempted to purchase Chelsea for around £2.2 billion (AU$4 billion). Now teamed up with billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, the Swiss-American consortium has reignited its interest in purchasing a Premier League club. However, it’s suspected that they will reject the AU$5 billion asking price.
Michael Rubin
Some sources are reporting that the owner of sports merchandising group Fanatics is also planning to toss his hat in the ring. Fanatics recently raised $1.5 billion in new funding, contributing to a total valuation of $27 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
If ever there was an obvious candidate to own Chelsea FC, it was Britain’s richest man: Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Unfortunately for any Chelsea fans out there hopeful of a move from Ratcliffe, the man has frequently expressed his thoughts on Premier League clubs being overpriced. Chances are, he may just be content owning Nice and FC Lausanne for the time being.
Muhsin Bayrak
The Turkish billionaire may have been the one to make the loudest noise in this conversation recently. His spokesperson told Sky Sports News that he is currently in “negotiating signatures” to complete the acquisition and will be “flying the Turkish flag in London soon.” All of this should be taken with a grain of salt.
Thomas Ricketts
Ricketts was originally a part of a consortium that tried to acquire AC Milan back in 2018. Looking to expand his investment portfolio outside of the United States, the chairman of the Chicago Cubs is definitely one to look out for.
Nick Candy
The luxury property developer and lifetime Chelsea supporter has suggested that he’s interested in putting together a consortium to buy the club. Another one to keep an eye on here.
RedBird Capital Partners
While Premier League rules would prevent them from owning part of another club (RedBird Capital Partners own 11% of Liverpool FC), the Manhattan-based private equity company has suggested they’re interested in Chelsea.
