Chelsea Sale: Despite reservations over its possible ownership, the Ricketts family, who owns the Chicago Cubs, has made the shortlist of bidders for Chelsea.
After it was revealed that the family’s patriarch, Joe Ricketts, was accused of Islamophobia three years ago, the proposal was slammed.
Representatives for the consortiums featuring ex-Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly told the BBC that they had also made the shortlist.
Before the 18 March deadline, six parties are thought to have made an offer for the Premier League team.Before a preferred bidder is announced, a shortlist is being created.
There’s also a mystery bidder who hasn’t expressed an interest in the auction publicly.
The Ricketts family’s ownership of the Chicago Cubs, a Major League Baseball team, has also been criticized by fans.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust stated on Friday that it “remains concerned about the Ricketts family’s capacity to run an inclusive, prosperous club.”
“If they are unable to resolve issues and gain the confidence of supporters, we do not believe it would be in the best interests of our members for the candidacy to succeed,” the CST said after meeting the Ricketts family this week.
Tom Ricketts issued a statement thanking Chelsea supporters for “expressing their emotions and concerns.”
“We have listened to all of your views and are grateful that the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to collaborating with supporters to maintain the club’s heritage remains available,” it said.
“It is now up to us to step up our efforts and clearly lay out a vision for our stewardship of the club, one that prioritizes diversity and inclusion.”
There is no deadline for completing the shortlist
Despite a proposal of more than £2 billion, the Saudi Media Group was not shortlisted on Thursday.
According to sources, the consortium’s willingness to conduct due diligence on the club, as well as Chelsea’s desire for a speedy sale, worked against them.
However, another party has met the threshold to purchase the club, and additional bidders have been invited to join together to achieve the requisite status.
With the club attracting unprecedented interest for a sports team sale, the amount of money being offered to buy Chelsea and the source of cash are critical to any bid’s success.
There is no specific deadline for the shortlist to be completed, although some parties may find it impossible to meet or come close to the asking price.
On the basis of its financial capabilities, a bid from global investment group Centricus is being questioned.
Although an offer by British multi-millionaire businessman Nick Candy did not meet the required threshold, his Blue Football consortium is said to be in talks with other parties.
After owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned for his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UK government granted Chelsea a special license to continue operating.
Abramovich, a Russian billionaire, is demanding £3 billion for the sale, but the revenues will go to a charitable organization or a frozen account with government clearance.
The Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test must approve any sale.
Bids are thought to be evaluated based on their valuation of the club, their working capital commitment, their source of money, the speed and surety with which they can close the deal, and their sporting background.
