Chelsea apparently have 10 potential buyers to take over from Roman Abramovich, with Boehly-Wyss consortium holding early advantage
According to Metro, while the fight to take the club out of Roman Abramovich’s hands is heating up, Chelsea has at least 10 potential suitors interested in buying the club as of now but the Boehly-Wyss consortium has a major advantage.
On Wednesday, Russian businessman and long-time club owner Roman Abramovich confirmed that he is looking to sell the club which he had purchased in 2003 with calls around the world for him to sell the club, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich has supposedly entrusted a New York Merchant Bank, the Raine group to find a suitable buyer for Chelsea and they have apparently received over 300 expressions of interest, with 10 of them considered to be credible sources. That is certainly a brilliant response and it’s unlikely that the club will now have trouble finding new buyers- a sigh of relief especially for fans who would have worried about that aspect of Abramovich’s exit.
The 19-year reign of Roman Abramovich has been one of the most successful ownership stints in world football, with the Blues having won every possible trophy during this period. However, his stint is coming to an end and the club is about to embark on a new era under new ownership.
Who could be our owners?
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has confirmed that he is partnering with US-based Todd Boehly, and further other partners to form the Boehly-Wyss consortium and make a bid to buy Chelsea. Although it seemed as if they had an early agreement in place, according to ESPN (h/t Metro), a bidding war is emerging.
Despite being considered early favourites, the Boehly-Wyss consortium is facing a stiff battle with Red Bird Capital Partners, Michael Rubin of Fanatics and Turkish Billionaire Muhsin Bayrak. Although the Raine group has given potential suitors time until March 15 to submit first indications of an offer, Boehly and Wyss are hoping to have an upper hand over their rivals and reach a full agreement by this weekend.
According to Telegraph (h/t Metro), the Boehly-Wyss consortium has a huge advantage over the other suitors as they are likely to pass the conditions laid down by Chelsea very easily, in comparison to others. That certainly points in the direction of them potentially being our new owners, although there is a long way to go before that news can become official.
Bidders from politically sensitive countries and backgrounds, or those with a political involvement are likely to be dismissed, with investors from China and Saudi Arabia to be red-flagged too. With that in mind, the Swiss-American duo has an upper hand in their pursuit of Chelsea FC’s ownership.
Chelsea are a well-run club and have been so for almost 20 years now. They have an able manager in Thomas Tuchel who has already won them the Champions League and one of the most talented squads in England.
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Regardless of what happens in the next few days, Abramovic’s period as a Chelsea boss is a huge success story and any new owner will have a humongous legacy to protect and build on. Entering a club that already has a very strong foundation, the new Blues owners will have to make sure that the only way from here on is upwards.
Investment in transfer windows is something that fans would expect from anyone who wants to be our new owners. Given that the Russian billionaire has promised to squash the club’s debts before transferring ownership is something that will make their jobs easier, and allow them to allocate more funds to the club’s functioning and well-being. Hopefully, we will have more answers as the days pass.