Swiss-American duo Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly have emerged as the favourites to buy Chelsea after lodging a recent bid.
According to Goal, Chelsea have been approached by a Swiss-American consortium for the purchase of the club. Led by two businessmen, Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss, the consortium has reportedly lodged a bid to buy the west London outfit.
The two are even regarded as favourites to seal the deal, around a week after Roman Abramovich announced his decision to sell Chelsea amid fears over having his assets seized by the UK government.
Speaking to the media last week, Hansjorg Wyss seemed confident of striking a deal, stating: “Abramovich is one of Putin’s closest advisers and friends. Like all other oligarchs, he is also in a panic. Abramovich is trying to sell all his villas in England. He also wants to get rid of Chelsea quickly. I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.”
Wyss is a Swiss businessman who is the founder of Synthes Holding AG, a medical device manufacturer. He has joined up with American investor Todd Boehly, who already has a stake in Los Angeles Dodger, a Major League Baseball franchise. He is also the founder and CEO of Elridge Industries,
“I have to wait four to five days now,” Wyss told Blick last week. “Abramovich is currently asking far too much. You know, Chelsea owe him £2 billion. But Chelsea has no money. Means: Those who buy Chelsea should compensate Abramovich.”
“As of today, we don’t know the exact selling price. I can well imagine starting at Chelsea with partners. But I have to examine the general conditions first. But what I can already say: I’m definitely not doing something like this alone. If I buy Chelsea, then with a consortium consisting of six to seven investors.”
Reports suggest Abramovich is looking at around £4 billion, but he is unlikely to get anything more than £2 billion. It could lead to a potential waiting game, which could be catastrophic for the Russian oligarch, as the UK government is actively trying to find his wrongdoings and further scrutinise his connections with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
While the Wyss-Boehly duo remains the favourite to sign Chelsea Football Club, they are expected to face competition from Turkish billionaire Muhsin Bayrak, who had confirmed his bid earlier this month. In addition, a Saudi Media-led consortium is also believed to have entered the bidding war.
