Chelsea has a legion of followers across the globe. The mere prospect of the Blues taking the field to square off with the opposition is reason enough for fans to go wild with celebrations. Recently, the English Premier League giant was in news not for sporting reasons but the sanctions imposed by the UK government on its owner Roman Abramovich for his proximity to the top leadership in Moscow. The situation has come to such a pass that he could no longer hold on to the team that won a lot of trophies, 21 to be precise after he acquired it in 2003 for 150 million Pounds. Interests are pouring in from several quarters to pick up the stakes of Abromovich. Hence, let us take a look at the buyers who have shown interest in acquiring Chelsea.
Nick Candy
The high profile realty developer from the UK, Nick Candy had recently affirmed that he has organised finance to initiate the proposal of Chelsea takeover. He also said that he is constantly in touch with potential partners with regard to joining hands for the bidding process. Last but not the least, Candy has made it very clear that fans of the club would be involved in its operations if his consortium manages to bag the Blues.
Martin Broughton
The reports are rife that the erstwhile chairman of Liverpool Football Club is also mulling about making a proposal to Chelsea. As per Sky News, Martin Broughton has got the financial backing of the UK, US and Europe in the endeavour. If reports are to be believed, Liverpool’s former chairman is also being counselled by investment banker Michael Klein in the matter of acquiring Chelsea.
Ken Griffin & Ricketts Family
The founder of Citadel, Ken Griffin is planning to unite with the Ricketts family, Chicago Cubs owners, to secure the ownership of the English Premier League club. In case they manage to pull off the deal, they would be a new addition to the list of US owners in the Premier League, such as the Kroenke family at Arsenal and the Glazers at Manchester United.
Oaktree Capital
According to the Financial Times, the US asset manager, Oaktree Capital, operated by Howard Marks, also wants to secure Chelsea, either solely or through a wider consortium. This will not be its debut in the world of football as it has provided debt finance to a Luxembourg-based company that has Chinese retailer Suning’s stake in Inter Milan.
Woody Johnson
Going by a report from ESPN, New York Jets football team owner and former US ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson is currently in the process of making an offer to Chelsea. In case he manages to acquire the Blues, Johnson would become the fourth NFL owner to have a stake in a Premier League franchise. The septuagenarian is also an heir to the renowned consumer product brand Johnson & Johnson. The billionaire has been the owner of the Jets football team since 2000.
Todd Boehly
The erstwhile Guggenheim Partners President has also shown interest in Chelsea and he has roped in Jonathan Goldstein, a property entrepreneur who had bid for rival Tottenham Hotspur FC in 2014, as a partner in the initiative. Todd Boehly did try to buy the club in 2019, but Abramovich declined his proposal back then, as per Dow Jones. He even partly owns the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and has recently agreed to offload his stakes in CBAM Partners to Carlyle Group Inc. for $787 million.
