A consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly will be named as the preferred bidder to buy Chelsea, according to British media reports on Friday. The protracted bidding process is now believed to be close to a conclusion, with New York bank the Raine Group — handling the sale for Abramovich — reportedly picking Boehly’s group as the front runners. Boehly has united with fellow Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter, British businessman Jonathan Goldstein, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and US investment firm Clearlake Capital in the consortium. Chelsea defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are both expected to leave on free transfers at the end of this season. Once the Raine Group selects a preferred bidder, the government must then grant a new licence to allow the sale to be completed.

Source: Punch April 30, 2022 06:21 UTC