The race to take over Chelsea is approaching its final stage as the Raine Group has shortlisted four finalists. The sale saw Roman Abramovich hire Raine Group to ensure the smooth transition of ownership. The merchant bank group has since scanned every bid, and finalized four. However, apart from Lord Coe, the remaining three bidders of the ‘final four’ hail from the United States. The Telegraph now claims that the American bidders are making a trip to London in order to meet the Chelsea staff as well as manager Thomas Tuchel.
Raine Group has reportedly selected bids from Todd Boehly consortium, Ricketts family, Stephen Pagliuca, Lord Coe, and Sir Martin Broughton for the final round. Furthermore, Raine Group has set April 11 as the deadline for the four bidders to submit final and improved offers. As a result, all the bidders could utilize this two weeks’ time to get an insight of the club.
Boehly, Ricketts, and Pagliuca all come from the United States and plan to fly to London in two weeks’ time. American investors Joshua Harris and David Blitzer of Lord Coe’s consortium are also on the schedule to pay a visit. The American visitors could discuss the key aspects of the club before the deadline of 11 April.
American bidders to get an in-depth understanding of Chelsea Football Club
The bidders flying in from the United States are reportedly eager to indulge in an analysis of the club’s current situation. The visits would be more like a behind-the-scenes look at the club’s resources for the bidders.
Chelsea has so far disclosed only the last year’s accounts to their American bidders, but the meetings could change that too. As the final bids are locked, they could be now presented with up-to-date financials of the club.
This would not only help with transparency but also in the improvement of the bids. The Raine Group expects bids to soar high and above £2.5 billion after these meetings are concluded. Since Chelsea has been sanctioned by the British government, the American bidders consider their upcoming visits of utmost importance.
As a result, club officials of higher ranks are going to host the foreigners. These include Bruce Buck, the club chairman, Marina Granovskaia and Eugene Tenenbaum, club directors, and Guy Lawrence, chief executive.
American bidders holding talk with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel
However, one more personality will mark his presence as well. The American bidders will also hold talks with Chelsea men’s team coach Thomas Tuchel. The manager’s future is in doubt after the sanctions on Chelsea. Moreover, Tuchel has also been linked to taking over the job at Manchester United. Amidst such chaos, the bidders are likely to make sure that Tuchel stays with the club after new owners step in.
While the Chelsea tour by the American bidders could possibly commence by this week, one group has a lot to do before April 11. The Ricketts family is facing an immense backlash from the Chelsea supporters over their bid. Journalist Ben Jacobs reports that the family is now doing everything to convince the Chelsea fans. However, only time will tell who wins this ‘four-horse’ race.
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