Chelsea: Ricketts family and NBA owner included in final shortlist

The Ricketts family and NBA owner Stephen Pagliuca have been included in the final four-party shortlist to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.

Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale after being sanctioned by the UK government earlier this month as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The government described Abramovich as a ‘pro-Kremlin oligarch’ with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and froze his assets.

Chelsea are expected to be sold for a price of over $3 billion (£2.27 billion), but there has been serious doubt over who the club’s next owners will be.

A number of parties have expressed interest in buying the club and Raine Group have now shortlisted the final four bids, according to The Athletic.

Offers from the Ricketts family, Boston Celtics owner Pagliuca, David Blitzer and Josh Harris and Todd Boehly are understood to have been shortlisted, with Centricus now out of the running.

The Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cups baseball team, have been included despite a huge backlash on social media and the club’s supporters’ trust expressing concerns over the bid.

Joe Ricketts, the family’s patriarch, was accused of Islamophobia in 2019. In response, the family have said it ‘rejects any form of hate in the strongest possible terms’.

American businessman Pagliuca, 67, owns the Celtics and has a 55 per cent stake of Serie A side Atalanta.

More to follow…