Chelsea FC could be worth €2.2bn as one bidder bows out of sale

The Ricketts family, which came up against allegations of racism during the sales process that started in March, dropped their pursuit of the Premier League club

The sale of Chelsea after a 19-year reign by Roman Abramovich was announced at the beginning of last month following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which prompted the UK government’s sanctioning of the billionaire.

A consortium led by the Ricketts family said it was withdrawing its bid to buy Chelsea Football Club, leaving only three groups in the race. 

The Ricketts family, which came up against allegations of racism during the sales process that started in March, said it became “increasingly clear that certain issues could not be addressed given the unusual dynamics around the sales process”.