Roman Abramovich has received over 300 expressions of interest since he decided to sell Chelsea, though it is believed that only 10 of those are credible buyers.
Abramovich put the club up for sale as the UK government continues to impose sanctions on individuals and businesses over suspected links to Vladimir Putin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine - ex-Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov is among those to have been sanctioned so far.
Several parties' interest in the club is known publicly. Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak claimed he was close to agreeing a deal to takeover on Friday while Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly are heading up another potential consortium.
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However, according to ESPN this barely scratches the surface of the interest in Chelsea. They report that since Abramovich announced he was selling up, the Raine Group – the bank in charge of the sale – have received hundreds of approaches, though not all are realistic propositions.
It is said that RedBird Capital Partners, a private equity headed by Manhattan-based Gerry Cardinale – who currently possess an 11% stake in Liverpool – are weighing up a bid. Michael Rubin, who owns sports-merchandise behemoth Fanatics, is interested too.
The report also suggests that there are a string of other consortiums and individuals who may also be in the running but are yet to reveal themselves.
Initial reports suggested that Abramovich wanted to make good progress on the sale over this weekend as he is eager to get rid of the club as soon as possible.
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Source : 90min