Irish Examiner View: And then there were three in race to buy Chelsea

The always-optimistic Americans still seem keen to buy into the Premier League.

The successful bid for Chelsea FC will be chosen by Roman Abramovich and then forwarded to the British government. Picture: Rebecca Naden/PA Wire

And so, the multi-billion euro race to take over Chelsea Football Club enters the final furlongs, with three all-American frontrunners and not an Arab sovereign investment fund or a Russian to be seen.

A fourth candidate, linked to Chicago Cubs baseball team owners Tom and Laura Ricketts, has withdrawn, although not, they say, because of supporter group opposition to historic comments made by other members of their family that fans and previous players deemed to be either anti-Islamic or homophobic.