The sale Chelsea is edging closer. Raine Group, the bank overlooking the process, has communicated which consortiums will be shortlisted for final talks with the likes of Nick Candy and Woody Johnson not making the cut.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale following the breakout of the Russia-Ukraine war – a process which was complicated even further after he was hit by government sanctions, which, in turn, affected Chelsea. Nevertheless, the government, through special permission, allowed for the sale to resume, and, promptly, bids were lodged with the Raine Group on March 18 by several interested parties. Now comes the second part of the process: the cull.
As per The Athletic, British businessman Nick Candy has been left out of the shortlist of potential buyers by Raine despite taking a public approach to the process and promising to redevelop Stamford Bridge. American tycoon Woody Johnson, too, is out of the running.
Saudi Media Group, whose head Mohamed Alkhereiji is reportedly a Chelsea fan, also failed to make the final shortlist of prospective buyers, as per reports. However, the group remains open to joining another bid.
The Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, are also reportedly out of consideration after facing massive backlash from groups of Chelsea fans on social media. Dubious comments from some of the members of the family in the past came back to hurt the Ricketts’ bid, while their attempt to build bridges with the relevant fan groups was knocked back.
The Todd Boehly-led bid is on the final shortlist; Boehly, along with Hansjorg Wyss, Jonathan Goldstein, and a few others reportedly have the financial backing they need to pull off one of the biggest sports deals in history, along with the plans to appease the Raine Group and the Chelsea fans. The final shortlist also contains the name of Sir Martin Broughton, who has teamed up with Lord Sebastian Coe to sway the vote in his favor.
