Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is “unsure” about selling the club to the consortium fronted by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, according to The Guardian.
Boehly and Wyss’ consortium have reportedly made an opening offer to Abramovich. The size of the proposal remains unknown, but the report suggests that it is unlikely to be significantly higher than £2bn.
The Guardian added that Boehly and Wyss will still have to convince Abramovich that they are the right people to take the club forward.
Abramovich, whose statement claimed that “all net proceeds from the sale will be donated to the victims of the war in Ukraine”, reportedly does not want the legacy he has built at the club for almost two decades to go to waste.
He, therefore, reportedly requires prospective buyers to “show that they have a viable plan and funds to ensure Chelsea remain successful”.
So based on the report, the next Chelsea owners are not necessarily the highest bidder, but rather those whose proposed plans would convince Abramovich.
A number of other potential buyers have emerged recently, including British property tycoon Nick Candy and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
Candy is reportedly a Chelsea fan, which is interesting, but he still likely sees the club as an investment.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher recently said that it does not seem plausible for Chelsea to continue the way they operate once a new owner takes over from Abramovich. He argued that not many owners would be prepared to “write off money” the way Abramovich has done for years at Chelsea.
It does not necessarily mean that Chelsea cannot be self-sustained. For example, their academy, as well as their “loan army”, has proved to bring in a lot of revenues from transfer and loan fees.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
