NICK CANDY has “significantly increased” his Chelsea bid from £2bn to over £2.5bn, according to reports.
Meanwhile former captain John Terry is backing a bid from the True Blues consortium.
And there looks set to be some good news for Chelsea fans looking to attend their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
The Blues have been drawn against Patrick Vieira’s side in the last four and are set to face them on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April.
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Blue York
Chelsea stars had the best seats in the house in New York to watch some high-flying NBA action.
Hakim Ziyech, Romelu Lukaku and Trevor Chalobah all hit the Big Apple for a welcome getaway during the international break.
All three were spotted courtside in New York City, but at two different arenas.
Ziyech and Lukaku were in the front row for a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center. While Chalobah was in Manhattan 24 hours earlier to watch the New York Knicks at the world famous Madison Square Garden.
Ziyech and Lukaku were treated to another Kevin Durant masterclass as he scored 37 points in a 114-106 win over Utah Jazz.
The Jazz were also the Knicks’ opponents the day before, where they ran out 108-93 winners.
Chelsea players are feeling the strain from their club’s current situation with government sanctions limiting their operations. The squad didn’t even know if they could fly to Middlesbrough for their FA Cup quarter-final win at the weekend. But the Blues ran out 2-0 winners to set up a semi-final showdown with Crystal Palace.
Centricus vow ‘continued success’ for Chelsea
Latest bidders Centricus are pledging ‘continued success’ for Chelsea if they win the race to buy out sanction-hit Roman Abramovich
The global investment firm’s co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam and chief executive Garth Ritchie lead the bid, assisted by hedge fund manager Jonathan Lourie of Cheyne Capital and Bob Finch of Talis Capital.
The group is ‘committed to supporting [Chelsea] and its key stakeholders to ensure its continued success’.
The statement added: “Our financing for the deal includes funding for the completion of the transaction and funding for working capital required for the day-to-day operations of the CFC Group, funds required to maintain an elite global brand, investment in grassroots and in-community football initiatives such as the Chelsea Academy, the women’s team, the youth development programme and the Chelsea Foundation and strategic real estate investment.
“The intention is to maintain and support existing management on both the business and sporting operations of the CFC Group. We intend to maintain the existing strategy direction.
“Clearly, the CFC Group has been operating in challenging conditions and we appreciate the importance for the CFC Group, the fans and other key stakeholders of ensuring a smooth and stable ownership transition.”
Red Devils dominate top Prem earners
Manchester United boast four of the top five earners in the Premier League, according to a study.
The Red Devils may be struggling off the pitch but their financial power is still strong.
Research from respected French publication L’Equipe shows that they dominate the list of highest-paid players.
The French newspaper released their list of the top five earners in the Premier League on Tuesday.
And four of them currently ply their trade at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo takes home £2.2million a month – or £26.4m per year – making him the best-paid player in England.
That figure is still someway off the £3.4million that his rival Lionel Messi earns at Paris Saint-Germain every month.
Man City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne is the second highest earner with a wage of £1.7m per month (£20.4m a year).
Blues pay £600k a week on loan exiles
Chelsea are forking out £600k-per-week for players currently out on loan at other clubs, according to the latest data.
A report from BettingOdds (via The Star) indicates that the Blues are currently paying more than half-a-million pounds in wages each week for a long list of young stars playing their football away from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues’ habit of overloading their squad with the best young players in the country, and then sending them out on loan for their formative years has long been criticised by supporters of other clubs.
The likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Armando Broja, Ethan Ampadu, Levi Colwill and Dujon Sterling are currently among 24 players that have been loaned out for the season by The Blues.
It recently emerged that Chelsea’s daily expenditure was around the £1million mark, and this development is likely to be of further concern for any would-be buyers.
Tammy still star-struck by Jose
Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has revealed his love for two-time Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
The pair have again linked up at Roma, where Abraham has been busy making himself a cult hero with the Stadio Olimpico crowd.
The England international scored twice in Sunday’s 3-0 win over city rivals Lazio, and now has 23 goals in 40 appearances since joining the Giallorossi.
In an interview with CBS Sports (via Football Italia), Abraham explained why he eventually moved to Serie A despite initial concerns. He said: “At first, when they initially contacted me, I thought to myself, ‘This isn’t for me’.
“But then, when people explain to your their ambitions, and show that they have faith you and make you feel valuable, that’s when you want to give them everything you can. As soon as I arrived here, I fell in love with this place.
“I still look up to [Jose] as an idol. And I never told him this, but every time I see him I’m still star-struck even though I see him every day.
“When he was at Chelsea, I was there, but I was still a young kid. I trained with him a couple of times so I knew what he was like a little bit and since coming here, I call him my uncle of Rome.”
Candy consortium set for sweet FA
Nick Candy and his consortium have supposedly been unsuccessful in their attempts to purchase Chelsea.
That’s the view of eagled-eyed social media sleuths, who translated a now-deleted instagram post from Catalina Kim, one of Candy’s backers.
The post in Korean apparently reveals that the consortium ‘are disappointed as [the] South Korea embassy didn’t support them.’
Kim goes on to apologise ‘to the fans who supported.’
There has been no official word from either Nick Candy nor the Raine Group.
New owners must protect club’s heritage
The new owners of Chelsea Football Club must ‘protect the club’s heritage by issuing a golden share for supporters.’
That’s the belief of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, who last night issued a statement imploring the Government to safeguard the Blues’ future.
The fans group believe it is essential that supporters are given a stake and subsequent say in the club, and any bid that doesn’t support such an initiative should be immediately discounted.
The shortlist of potential purchasers is expected to be narrowed to three or four parties imminently.
Credit: Chelsea Supporters’ Trust Chelsea in loan stars state
Chelsea are forking out £600k-per-week for players currently out on loan at other clubs, according to the latest data.
A report from BettingOdds (via The Star) indicates that the Blues are currently paying more than half-a-million pounds in wages each week for a long list of young stars playing their football away from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues’ habit of overloading their squad with the best young players in the country, and then sending them out on loan for their formative years has long been criticised by supporters of other clubs.
The likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Armando Broja, Ethan Ampadu, Levi Colwill and Dujon Sterling are currently among 24 players that have been loaned out for the season by The Blues.
It recently emerged that Chelsea’s daily expenditure was around the £1million mark, and this development is likely to be of further concern for any would-be buyers.
Emerson heading back to Bridge
Emerson Palmieri is set to quit Lyon and return to Chelsea, according to reports in France.
Football journalist Sebastien Denis states that the Italian is unhappy at the Groupama Stadium, and could cut short his loan spell with the Ligue 1 club.
Initially, it looked as though the move would be made permanent after Emerson made an impressive start to his time with the French club.
However, it soon became apparent that Lyon would be unlikely to finance the left-back’s wages.
Emerson is out of contract at Chelsea this summer, but may pen an extension with concerns over Ben Chilwell’s fitness and question marks over Marcos Alonso’s ability to play regularly at the top level.
Reds to hijack Blues’ Tchou coup
Liverpool hope to take advantage of Chelsea’s troubles by hijacking their move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni.
Thomas Tuchel has been an admirer of the midfielder for some time, and had identified the 22-year-old as the perfect long-term replacement for N’Golo Kante.
A bid from The Bridge was supposedly imminent, but the club are currently unable to do business while outgoing owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned.
The Express now report Jurgen Klopp as being ‘very interested’ in the player with the Anfield club preparing a £42million bid with The Blues out of action in the transfer market.
Shortlist could be finalised today
The Raine Group are expected to narrow the field of Chelsea’s potential purchasers today, according to Sky Sports News.
The merchant bank appointed by Roman Abramovich to oversee the sale of the club will present a shortlist of three or four parties imminently to both Chelsea and the UK Government.
A joint decision will then be made on the most suitable offer, which will then be disclosed to the Premier League.
Takeovers have previously been completed in around ten days, but due to the complexities of this case, a deal is likely to take around a month.
Morning Chelsea news
Nick Candy’s Chelsea takeover bid has been bolstered by a new financial backer.
Candy, 49, submitted a £2billion bid for his boyhood club to The Raine Group last Friday.
Following the addition of a new backer to his Blue Football Consortium, however, he has now upped his offer.
The bid now has the backing of South Korea’s Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group.
In other news, The FA is in talks with the government to find a way to sell tickets to Chelsea fans for next month’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace.
The Blues are currently barred from selling tickets due to sanctions placed on club owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of his country Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are not chasing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to be their new manager, according to reports.
The German has been linked with the position at the Red Devils, which will become vacant in the summer when interim boss Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role.
But Sky Sports are now reporting United are ‘not considering’ Tuchel and describe him being linked to the Old Trafford hot-seat as ‘media talk and not reality’.
Though Chelsea are plotting a move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season.
Foot Mercato state that the Premier League club have been tracking the midfielder ‘for months’ ahead of a possible summer move to Stamford Bridge.
And finally, Chelsea have been put on red alert with Paulo Dybala to depart Juventus at the end of the season.
The Argentine ace will be available on a free transfer having failed to agree terms on a new deal in Turin.
Ricketts confident of making shortlist
The Ricketts family are confident they will be shortlisted in the race to buy Chelsea, according to an Evening Standard report.
The owners of American baseball club Chicago Cubs are set to jet into the UK to meet Blues fans and the Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC to outline their vision for the club.
Chicago Cubs chairman Thomas Ricketts is co founder of investment bank Incapital LLC.
Chelsea fans’ FA Cup hope
The FA is in talks with the government to find a way to sell tickets to Chelsea fans for next month’s FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace.
The Blues are currently barred from selling tickets due to sanctions placed on club owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of his country Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But an FA spokesperson said: “We hope to have sell-out crowds at both of our Emirates FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium.
“This includes tickets for Chelsea supporters for their match against Crystal Palace.
“And we are working with the government on a method to achieve this while respecting the sanctions that are currently in place on Chelsea.”
Candy makes improved Chelsea offer
Nick Candy’s bid to buy Chelsea has been bolstered by a new financial backing from South Korea’s Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group.
Candy, 49, submitted a £2billion bid for his boyhood club last Friday but his Blue Football Consortium has now upped its offer.
Women’s FA Cup London derby
Women’s FA Cup holders Chelsea will go to Arsenal in the semi-finals of this season’s competition.
The Blues beat the Gunners in last year’s final.
The other last-four tie sees West Ham hosting Manchester City.
Both games will be played on Sunday, April 17, with the final at Wembley on May 15.
Manchester United ‘not after’ Tuchel
Manchester United are not chasing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to be their new manager, according to reports.
The German has been linked with the position at the Red Devils, which will become vacant in the summer when interim boss Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role.
Sky Sports are now reporting United are ‘not considering’ Tuchel and describe him being linked to the Old Trafford hot-seat as ‘media talk and not reality’.
Shevchenko on ‘changed’ Abramovich relationship
Andriy Shevchenko says his relationship with Roman Abramovich has been changed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s legendary striker was signed by Russian oligarch Abramovic’s club Chelsea in 2006.
Now Sheva is trying to help those in his war-torn homeland while Abramovich has been hit by sanctions by the UK government due to his alleged ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Shevcnehko told the Daily Mail: “We had a long relationship and I don’t think it will ever be the same.
“But I also know there are a lot of Russian people who want to stop the war.”
Lampard labeled ‘salty’ by fans
Crystal Palace fans felt Everton manager Frank Lampard was a sore loser after Sunday’s FA Cup humiliation at Selhurst Park.
After a 4-0 quarter-final win for the Eagles, Chelsea legend Lamps described two of the goals as ‘average’ and one as ‘a fluke’.
One Palace fan tweeted: “Sooo salty Lampard.”
Another said: “Why’s Lampard so f***ing salty. Get over it, we battered you and you were s***!”
Ex-Chelsea keeper’s MMA win
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Ricardo Prasel has made a winning start to his new MMA career in Poland.
The Brazilian, 31, was a Blues squad player over a decade ago who never made a first-team appearance for Jose Mourinho’s star-studded side.
On Saturday night he recovered from a first-round battering at the hands of fellow heavyweight Michal Kita in a KSW MMA event to win by TKO in round two with a ground and pound finish.
Blues fancy summer Tchou coup
Chelsea are plotting a move for Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni at the end of the season, according to French Media.
Foot Mercato state that the Premier League club have been tracking the midfielder ‘for months’ ahead of a possible summer move to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues face stiff competition for the 22-year-old from several clubs including that of rivals Liverpool.
Thomas Tuchel is understood to be an admirer of the French international, and is already considering long-term replacements for Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Dybala exit to fuel transfer frenzy
Premier League clubs have been placed on red alert after it was announced that contract talks between Paulo Dybala and Juventus had broken down.
After two hours of negotiations this morning, the striker’s agent revealed that the striker would not be signing a new deal in Turin, and would leave the club this summer on a free transfer.
A number of English clubs had been linked with the 28-year-old in recent months including Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, but the expectation was that the forward was about to commit his future to Juve.
This afternoon’s revelation is now likely to start a bidding war as clubs prepare attractive packages for the Argentine.
Dybala has scored 113 goals in 283 appearances for the Old Lady, and has 32 international caps for his country.
Progressive talks just the ticket
Chelsea fans could yet be in attendance at their FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley after it was revealed that government officials are in discussion with the club and the Football Association.
The Times report that plans regarding a commercial ticket agency being brought in to sell tickets to supporters is being considered with the proceeds to be held in a frozen account.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have been prohibited from selling new tickets to games following the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich.
If agreed, the process could also be used to sell tickets for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-finals with Real Madrid, and their remaining Premier League matches.
Jose wants big-time Charly
Roma boss Jose Mourinho wants Charly Musonda to become the latest Chelsea player to join him at the Stadio Olimpico.
The forgotten Blues star is finally set to depart Stamford Bridge after a decade with the London club when his contract comes to an end in the summer.
Goal report that former boss Mourinho hopes the 25-year-old will make the same journey as Tammy Abraham before him by heading to the Italian capital.
The Belgian midfielder broke into the Chelseas first team in 2016, but has had to deal with a host of injuries and loan spells away since.
Centricus reveal bid for Blues
Global investment firm Centricus has confirmed that it made an offer to buy Chelsea on Friday, and revealed four key areas it intends to fund should their bid be successful.
The London-based firm is headed by Nizar Al-Bassam and Garth Ritchie, who have also teamed up with Cheyne Capital’s Jonathan Lourie and Talis Capital’s Bob Finch. All four are season ticket holders at Stamford Bridge.
Centricus oversees global assets worth a staggering £40 billion, and vowed to pour money into the club, allowing for normal day-to-day operations while also building for the future.
A statement confirmed the bid, and proposed the four areas which they wish to finance:
- Working capital required for the day-to-day operations of the CFC Group.
- Funds required to maintain an elite global brand.
- Investment in grassroots and in-community football initiatives such as the Chelsea Academy, the Women’s Team, the Youth Development Program and the Chelsea Foundation.
- Strategic real estate investment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
