Joe Ravitch, an American banker who will reportedly be in charge of finding a buyer for Chelsea, said Roman Abramovich is taking his time to decide whom he will sell the club to.
According to Reuters, Ravitch, the co-founder of investment bank Raine Group LLC, was contacted by the club to find possible suitors after Abramovich made the decision to sell the club.
There have been a lot of speculations claiming the Chelsea owner is under pressure to sell the club as quickly as possible given the situation.
Sky News, for example, claimed that the Russian-Israeli billionaire sets the deadline for indicative bids in mid-March.
Ravitch, however, suggested that Abramovich would take his time to strike a balance between securing a fair price and finding the “best steward” for the club and its supporters.
“We are not going to rush anything,” the adviser of the sale told Reuters.
“It is very important that Chelsea have the right owner to guide the club forward.”
Reuters added that the New York and Los Angeles-based banker could not publicly discuss the details of the sale process.
The report also mentioned that Abramovich expects bids in the region of £3billion, having turned down a £2.5b bid from an investor last week.
The sale process may reportedly take a month before a buyer is identified and a deal is agreed.
Abramovich’s patience could shape Chelsea’s future
Many Chelsea fans are understandably concerned that the potential new owners may not be as generous and, more importantly, ambitious as Abramovich in terms of winning titles.
It is full of uncertainties at the moment, but if, as Ravitch suggested, Abramovich factors in the club’s future in his decision-making, then hopefully the takeover will at least not negatively impact the team.
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