The Chelsea acquisition process which took place in the last few months continues to receive high attention. There is hope that this acquisition process can be completed before the end of the 2021/22 season. After the assets owned by Roman Abramovich were frozen by the British Government, a special license was needed in order for the Blues to continue operating.
The license is valid until May 31. The Premier League season ends on that date. But of course the club will continue to carry out operational activities, starting from discussing player contracts, recruitment and sales, as well as other things that require costs and provide income.
The Premier League’s competition committee will also discuss preparations for the 2022/23 season on 8 June. According to reports from The Times and The Athletic, there are now concerns about the Chelsea acquisition process. Roman Abramovich is said to have the potential to break the promise he made when he decided to sell the West London club.
Abramovich, throughout the history of his holdings, has made loans totaling £1.6 billion. When deciding to sell Chelsea, Abramovich stated his intention to write off the debt. However, in the final stages of the prospective buyer selection process, the remaining three consortiums got the impression that Abramovich now wanted the debt paid off.
This change of intention can have a significant impact. If Chelsea do not get a new owner after 31 May, and before 8 June, then there is a threat to their existence in the Premier League.
New: Roman Abramovich’s allies are set to keep running Chelsea FC after he sells the club
Bruce Buck and Marina Granovskaia have long-standing ties to the sanctioned oligarch, going back to the 90s
Story w @SamuelAgini @ArashMassoudi @JasmineCC_95 https://t.co/tYgDvhzKZ2
— Kaye Wiggins (@kayewiggins) May 4, 2022
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who made a sudden bid through the INEOS Group, had received information from the Raine Group (a financial institution whose services Abramovich used) that their bid had not entered the selection stage at this time. But the news did not make INEOS Group give up.
When the acquisition process is complete, the Financial Times reports that the new owners have the opportunity to retain Bruce Buck and Marina Granovskaia, two important figures in Chelsea’s management in terms of financial position as well as recruitment to player transfer negotiations.
