With owner Roman Abramovich making it public that he is placing the club up for sale. A number of names from the US and Saudi Arabia were straight away linked with the Chelsea takeover. While the recent sanctions posed by the UK government on Roman Abramovich meant that the process to sell the club was put on hold. But recent reports suggest that the takeover at the club will be completed in the next four to six weeks. Reports also suggest that Roman Abramovich is in negotiation with a couple of different groups for the takeover.
Leading contenders for the Chelsea takeover
Woody Johnson
Woody Johnson is the heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. He is also the owner of the New York Jets. While fans have questioned his ties with Donald Trump. But his advisors have pointed out the already existing ties to the UK as one of his strengths. He served as the US Ambassador to the UK between 2017-21. The New York Jets owner reportedly placed a £2billion bid for the European champions.
Saudi Media Group
The Saudi Media group reportedly bid £2.7billion for the club last week. The media group is owned by Mohamed Alkhereiji, who is believed to be a very big Chelsea fan. Despite the club not claiming any ties to the Saudi government. The Chelsea faithful and football world is still unsure about the nature of the bid by the Media group.
Lord Coe and Sir Martin Broughton
Former British Airways chairman Broughton also confirmed his intention to bid for the club last week. But the former Liverpool chairman Lord Coe was also a surprise addition to the bid for the club. Coe served as the chairman of Liverpool to facilitate the sale of the club to the Fenway Sports Group. Coe is believed to be a Chelsea fan and will be acting as a consultant for the owners if the takeover was completed.
Tom Ricketts And Ken Griffin
Tom Ricketts is the owner of the Chicago Cubs. He brought the club for £650 million 13 years ago. In the last 10 years, the team’s net worth has quadrupled in value. Tom is reported to be teaming up with Ken Griffin for the takeover. While Ken Griffin is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and investor. Griffin’s net worth is reported to be around £21 billion.
Follow us on Twitter for regular football updates.
