Report: Rival bidders now think 46-year-old is the one to beat in the race to buy Chelsea

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Those bidding to buy Chelsea reportedly believe that Todd Boehly stands a better chance than the rest of taking over from Roman Abramovich.

According to The Athletic, the 46-year-old is viewed by his direct rivals as the ‘one to beat’ as they all jostle for reign over the Premier League side.

Who and what is behind Boehly’s bid?

Boehly claimed the mantel of favourite from pretty much the word go, having been involved in the process virtually since the day Abramovich put the club up for sale.

The American businessman earned a majority of his wealth by creating Eldridge Industries in 2015, a holding organisation that owns stakes in various finance, media, sports, real estate and tech companies.

He has a stake in the LA Dodgers and LA Lakers, two of the USA’s most infamous baseball and basketball teams.

However, his fortune alone wasn’t enough to submit a significant offer to claim Chelsea outright.

At the beginning of Boehly’s campaign, he enlisted the help of Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, one of the first people to speak publicly about Abramovich’s attempts to get rid of his empire.

Later on, property developer Jonathan Goldstein joined the group, potentially to offer his expertise toward the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.

A few other figures might also be involved, however, this movement is very much led by Boehly.

Second time lucky

This isn’t the first time the LA Dodgers’ co-owner has trodden down this path.

He had a £2.2 billion (Athletic) bid rejected by Abramovich to acquire his empire three years ago.

Now, the sanctioned Russian would probably jump at the chance to earn that kind of money.

But the proceeds are not – or at least they shouldn’t be – going into Abramovich’s pocket this time.

Where the cash will end up is still something of a mystery, much like the identity of Chelsea’s new emperor.

From what we’ve been told, Boehly seems to be in with a very good chance of winning the race.

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