The process of selling Chelsea Football Club is well and truly underway, but the list of buyers is shrinking rapidly.
Earlier today it was revealed that Saudi Media Group consortium was out of the running to buy the club, and now the Raine Group – the US firm overseeing the sale of the club along with the UK government – has struck two more names from the list of bidders.
The Athletic are reporting that this time, it has seen British property developer and billionaire Nick Candy and Woody Johnson – the great-grandson of the Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical empire – struck from the list.
Candy had made his interest public from early on, citing his relationship to the club as a fan as one of the reasons he wanted to take over the club.
This leaves the potential buyers up for grabs, with bidders such as the Ricketts family, Crystal Palace co-owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris, and a joint bid from Todd Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss, Jonathan Goldstein and Clearlake still among the options to succeed Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
The report indicates Chelsea could be sold for over $3 billion, with Abramovich also not asking for any of the £1.5 billion in debt Chelsea owes him.
Chelsea will hope the ordeal is over and done with soon in order to allow them to get back to the normal day-to-day running of the club.