Chelsea sale being delayed due to concerns regarding Stamford Bridge
According to Daily Mail, the Chelsea sale is being held up due to the concerns revolving around the renovations required at Stamford Bridge. It is also understood that another step is being added to the bidding process where one of the parties will be eliminated at the end of the week.
These concerns hint that the processing of buying the Blues could take slightly longer than was earlier expected. The West Londoners are already going through a bit of a rough patch on the field and getting this out of the way could have helped settle some of the nerves around Stamford Bridge.
Three consortiums led by Sir Martin Broughton, Todd Boehly, and Steve Pagliuca are still remaining in the race to purchase Chelsea. That being said, it is believed that the consortium led by Pagliuca could be eliminated this week making it a two-legged race between the former Liverpool chairman and LA Dodgers co-owner.
Another roadblock to the sale of Chelsea
A Daily Mail source highlighted that the new owners would ultimately look at long-term profitability despite the history and glamour of the footballing trophies, stating that the finances would be difficult to figure out without moving the stadium.
‘Without moving the stadium, the sums don’t work. They’re private equity guys and want to make a profit in the long term. No matter how glamorous the trophies are, the sums don’t work without moving the stadium if the deal is for £2.5bn. They will probably knock the price down. Everyone’s talking about it, it’s just no one’s talking about in the public domain,’
While it may be an alarming statement, one cannot deny that the game has become largely commercial which allows players, managers, and others associated with the game to lead comfortable lives. Over a longer period, one also needs to create a stable financial foundation in order to propel the clubs to new heights.
This may not be such a bad thing, but should the remaining parties look down to decrease the asking price, it could result in a further delay. It is thus important that our prospective owners embody our values and culture without hurting our long-term functionality as a club.
One should remember that there are many factors considering the acquisition of the club that needs to be taken into consideration. A rebuild has been long overdue at Stamford Bridge which seems to be a worrying sign. With new twists emerging every second day, it remains to be seen what will finally take place.
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That being said, the club will definitely be a lucrative asset and could also boost the profile of our new owners. Hence, a substantial investment shouldn’t be a lot to ask for as the game means more than just money for us. At the moment, time is the only judge of what can happen and we hope that our new owners can start an illustrious new chapter in our history.