Report: Chelsea, Boehly's group to enter exclusive talks over record sale
The consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly is set to be named as the preferred bidder to buy Chelsea from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, according to BBC Sport's Dan Roan.
The group will therefore enter exclusive negotiations over purchasing the Premier League club. The offer is $3 billion, Reuters reports, which would set a record sale price for a professional sports team.
Boehly's consortium appears to be in pole position despite a generous late bid from British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The 69-year-old, who apparently supports Chelsea, promised his regime would be "temporary custodians of a great tradition" at the club if its $5.3-billion offer was successful.
Ratcliffe's approach came weeks after the initial bid deadline of March 18.
Stephen Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics, was informed on Friday that his offer failed. A bid involving Philadelphia 76ers co-owners and private-equity veterans Josh Harris and David Blitzer was also trumped by Boehly's consortium, according to Cara Lombardo, Ben Dummett, and Miriam Gottfried of The Wall Street Journal.
A group led by Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts withdrew its interest earlier in April due to "the unusual dynamics around the sales process."
Abramovich put Chelsea put up for sale in March. The owner's status at Stamford Bridge became tenuous after he was hit by sanctions from the British government over his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chelsea have since operated under numerous restrictions, including caps on ticket sales and being barred from offering players new contracts.