Nick Candy has made moves to strengthen his bid for Chelsea after securing further financial backing from South Korean investors - but the boyhood Blues fan is facing stern competition from many other consortiums to wrest control of the club.
Candy is a member of one of six consortiums to have submitted an offer to take charge at Stamford Bridge, while there are believed to be other groups in the race who have not made their interest public. Chelsea were put up for sale by oligarch owner Roman Abramovich at the start of March following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich was subsequently sanctioned by the government due to his links to the Russian president but the sale of the club has been allowed to go ahead under the strict supervision of officials.
Abramovich appointed Raine Group, an investment bank with headquarters in New York, to find a new owner and a deadline of last Friday was set for bids to be submitted. The next stage of the process will whittle down the number of would-be buyers to three on Tuesday, although late changes to a number of offers may have led to minor delays. Without further ado, here are the known bidders who are vying to make the three-strong shortlist.
Blue Football Consortium
British businessman Candy is the face of the Blue Football Consortium which was initially made up of investors from Europe and the United States. As mentioned, the London-based property tycoon is a Chelsea fan and he has the backing of former Blues striker and manager Gianluca Vialli, who is the co-founder of investment firm Tifosy Capital & Advisory.
Candy and Co. are believed to have submitted an initial offer in the region of £2billion but, crucially, they were able to raise this "significantly" after securing backing from South Korean investors Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group. A spokesperson for Candy confirmed details of the fresh offer have been sent to Raine Group.
On paper, Blue Football Consortium appears an attractive potential owner for Chelsea fans as Candy has pledged supporters will have a stake in the club, voting rights and an advisory board. Proving his intent, the 49-year-old is in discussions with tech firm PrinaryBid about making these ideas become a reality should he be successful in buying the West Londoners.
Ricketts family
The Ricketts family are one of numerous American parties believed to have strong hands in the race to take over Chelsea. The billionaire relatives have owned Major League Baseball outfit the Chicago Cubs and they believe this positions them well to run operations at Stamford Bridge.
"As long-time operators of an iconic professional sports team, the Ricketts Family and their partners understand the importance of investing for success on the pitch, while respecting the traditions of the club, the fans and the community," they said in a statement confirming they will make a formal bid. The Ricketts family joined forces with American hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin to strengthen their claim but some members of Thomas Tuchel's squad are reportedly uncomfortable about them taking over the club.
Todd Boehly's consortium
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Like the Ricketts family, Todd Boehly is viewed as a major player in the battle for Chelsea. The American businessman, who has a stake in Major League Baseball side the Los Angeles Dodgers, was one of the first people to express interest in purchasing the Blues and formed a consortium with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and British property investor Jonathan Goldstein.
California-based investment firm Clearlake Capital is also involved, meaning the consortium has vast financial might which allowed them to drastically improve their initial offer - in the region of £2billion and £2.5billion - at the eleventh hour on Friday night. This means Boehly - who launched a failed bid to buy Chelsea in 2019 - and his partners are regarded as one of the frontrunners to become Chelsea's next owners.
Saudi Media
Saudi Media, the largest media group in the Middle East, are believed to have submitted a £2.7billion bid for Chelsea last week. They are owned by Blues supporter Mohamed Alkhereiji, who also has the backing of a number of other Saudi Arabia-based investors. The consortium has made redeveloping Stamford Bridge and the club's Cobham base, as well as investing in Chelsea Women, their priorities.
Alkhereiji previously lived in the United Kingdom to obtain an executive master's degree in business administration and to work for Deutsche Bank. According to Goal, Saudi Media are confident their bid is competitive and they believe they could help the Blues increase their fanbase in the Middle East given the youthful population in the region.
Lord Seb Coe and Sir Martin Broughton
Closer to home, Chelsea fan Lord Seb Coe has thrown his weight behind a consortium headed by Sir Martin Broughton, the former Liverpool chairman and deputy chairman of International Airlines Group. Evolution Media Capital are believed to be a part of the group but Lord Coe and Sir Broughton have not divulged the details of their financial backing.
Broughton has confirmed the consortium involves investors from "four or five continents" which he believes reflects the "global nature of Chelsea". Lord Coe has substantial influence in the sporting world having chaired the committee in charge of arranging the London 2012 Olympic Games, so the former Conservative MP could reinforce Broughton's hopes of making it to the next round of the purchasing process.
Centricus
On Monday, it emerged that an all-British consortium had submitted a bid for Chelsea. London-based asset management firm Centricus, Cheyne Capital hedge fund manager Jonathan Lourie and Talis Capital's Bob Finch are among those who have formed the conglomerate. Centricus co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam and chief executive Garth Richie are Chelsea fans, as are many of those they have joined forces with.
The would-be British-based buyers would like Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia to stay on at the club unless her association with Abramovich is deemed inappropriate. In a statement, they pledged: "If our offer is successful, Centricus would be focused on ensuring that the CFC Group continues to achieve sporting excellence, high level of community support, transparent governance, financial stability, fan engagement and exemplary custodianship."
Who else could be in the race?
Not all the bidders have made their interest public but Chelsea legend John Terry has confirmed he is part of The True Blues consortium which is aiming to secure a 10 per cent in the club and seat on the board. Elsewhere, UFC superstar Conor McGregor flirted with the idea of launching a £3billion offer on social media.
Among the others to have been linked with a bid for Chelsea are Turkish billionaire Muhsin Bayrak and American and politician Woody Johnson, who owns NFL franchise the New York Jets.
