"This is a British offer for a British club," the company said in a statement, promising "to invest in Stamford Bridge to make it a world-class stadium", as well as in the sports sector to bring together "the best players and coaches of the world".

The prestigious London club was put up for sale on March 2 by its Russian owner Roman Abramovich, targeted by sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine.

Stephen Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics (basketball);

a consortium led by Todd Boehly, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball);

and Martin Broughton, former chairman of Liverpool and British Airways are the three other candidates for a takeover announced as imminent.

According to British media, the New York bank Raine Group, mandated by Abramovich to complete the process, should soon appoint the consortium led by Boehly to enter into exclusive negotiations for the takeover of the London club.

The businessman is associated in this project with his Dodgers partner, Mark Walter, with the Briton Jonathan Goldstein, the Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and the American investment fund Clearlake Capital.

Whether Jim Ratcliffe's late offer will disrupt the process remains to be seen.

With 2 billion euros in investments in the club over 10 years, and 3 billion in the direction of a charitable foundation to support victims of the war in Ukraine, Ratcliffe's proposal is by far the highest, according to several media .

The 69-year-old businessman had already considered an offer in 2019, before falling back on the Nice club.

Ineos has also given its name since 2019 to one of the most prominent teams in cycling.

View of Chelsea's stadium, Stamford Bridge, on March 3, 2022 in London JUSTIN TALLIS AFP/Archives

"We believe that London must have a club that reflects the stature of the city. A club that is held in the same way as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich", explains Ineos, ensuring "to make this investment as fans beautiful game and not with a view to making a profit from it".

Chelsea hope to have a new owner in place by the end of May, so that they can prepare for next season with confidence.

The current sanctions indeed prevent any signature of contract with the players.

The Blues are currently third in the English Championship, far behind the leading duo of Manchester City and Liverpool.

© 2022 AFP