Chelsea’s three remaining bidders are facing a new demand they must guarantee.
The 19-year tenure of Roman Abramovich at Stamford Bridge is coming to an end with the club to be sold in a deal worth around £2.5billion.
A preferred bidder for the Blues is set to be announced by Raine Group, the merchant bank handling the auction, in the coming days.
Sky News says Raine have contacted the three shortlisted bidders – Todd Boehly, Sir Martin Broughton and Steve Pagliuca – asking them to provide commitments that they won’t sell the club until 2032 at the earliest.
It’s said that the bidding groups have been told the 10-year demand would only apply to the controlling parties in each consortium.
Whoever replaces Abramovich would also be able to raise money by issuing additional shares to provide additional funding for the club.
Any guarantee would be included in the sale contract, making the ten-year stay legally enforceable.
The report states that the decade-long commitment “reflects an attempt to ensure stability and continuity at Stamford Bridge”.
