Bidders ready for final battle to own Chelsea FC

Russian billionaire Abramovich who has owned Chelsea for almost 20 years and has put the club up for sale after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Bidders have sought to swoop on the rare chance to buy one of the top clubs in the English Premier League - the world's richest football division.

At least three groups of mainly American investors have made it through to what is expected to be a final phase of the bidding war for Chelsea Football Club, according to people familiar with the situation.

While more bidders may still make the next round, those already there include a consortium led by former Guggenheim Partners executive Todd Boehly, another by Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris, and a third by the Ricketts family, the owners of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs who have teamed up with the billionaire US hedge fund manager Ken Griffin.