Chelsea takeover delayed over Stamford Bridge concerns

The takeover of Chelsea Football Club is being delayed by concerns over the future of Stamford Bridge, according to reports.

The consortiums looking to buy Chelsea are struggling to come to terms with the £2.5bn asking price due to the potential requirement to renovate Stamford Bridge, rather than relocating.

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‘Without moving the stadium, the sums don’t work,’ a source told the Daily Mail. ‘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.’

Raine Group, the bank overseeing the sale, requires bidders to make commitments over the future of the stadium, which is long overdue a rebuild.

The source added that if a renovation guarantee is required in their final proposals, the value of the bids are likely to drop.

‘They will probably knock the price down. Everyone’s talking about it, it’s just no one’s talking about in the public domain,’ the source said.

It has also been reported that another stage has been added to the process, with one of the three remaining contenders set to be eliminated this week. It was previously thought the preferred option would be picked from the remaining three.

And the report states that the bid headed by Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca is set to be out of contention this week, with the proposals from Sir Martin Broughton and Todd Boehly’s groups set to go head-t0-head.

Broughton’s group have brought Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams on board and are currently thought to be leading the race.

And while Broughton makes the right moves there is a feeling Boehly has made a wrong one having added former chanceller George Osborne to play a key role in getting his bid over the line.

‘How will Rishi Sunak, who’s making the decision, feel about the inclusion of the ex-chancellor? It doesn’t look good compared to the alternative, a diverse ownership group with the great and the good of Britain on board,’ said a source.