March 08, (THEWILL) – Robert “Woody” Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets and a former American ambassador to the United Kingdom, is rumoured to be preparing a bid for Chelsea, along with a Saudi consortium.
Roman Abramovich, the club’s long-time owner, put the club up for sale last week and is looking for a swift sale as the UK government weighs new measures against persons and companies related to the Russian state.
Chelsea is reportedly being pursued by a partnership led by Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss, as well as Turkish tycoon Muhsin Bayrak, although there are a slew of other suitors, as THEWILL previously reported.
Johnson is attempting to become the latest NFL owner to purchase an English team, with Fulham, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Leeds also being backed by American football investors.
During his stint as US ambassador under Donald Trump, the 74-year-old billionaire lived in London and is reported to be a big Chelsea fan.
Meanwhile, a consortium led by Saudi Media, which is a fund that invests in media, advertising, and sports brands around the world, is also interested, in addition to Johnson’s potential bid.
The Raine Group, who are conducting the sale on behalf of Abramovich, has received interest from approximately ten parties. The Russian is thought to demand £3 billion for Chelsea, but in a buyers’ market, he may be obliged to accept far less.
Abramovich hopes to accept a bid by March 15, but if negotiations do not pick up in the following week, he may be obliged to extend that deadline.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
