REPORTS suggest that the Ricketts family have become the first of Chelsea’s FOUR bidders to accept the £1 billion future investment.
However, the West London outfit will give the other potential suitors a chance to stake their claim,
Meanwhile, Mason Mount who’s future stands with the Blues, starred for England against Switzerland as Gareth Southgate’s side came from behind to beat the visitors in a friendly.
But the midfield maestro admitted that his club teammates have been left in the dark on the current takeover crisis.
And Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher impressed alongside Mount for the Three Lions before mentioning that joining Crystal Palace in the summer was the right thing for his career.
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Three clubs waiting in wings
Romelu Lukaku could leave Chelsea this summer, just one season after joining the club for £97.5million.
The striker admitted late last year in a sensational interview that he wasn’t happy, and well things haven’t really improved since then.
Fichajes claim former club Inter are favourites for his signature – but there are three other clubs waiting in the wings hopeful of a deal.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are all said to be interested in a deal for the Belgian international.
Rudiger ‘new Chiellini’
Antonio Rudiger will be billed as the “new Chiellini” to help lure him to Juventus this summer, writes ANDREW DILLON.
The Chelsea defender is out of contract at the end of this season and the Italian giants want him to lead their defence into a new era.
And their plan for him to ultimately take over from club legend Giorgio Chiellini as the heartbeat of the back line is an added incentive.
Credit: Reuters Rudiger has already been offered a deal worth around £5.5million-a-season over five years to tempt the athletic Germany centre-back.
The 29-year-old is attracting interest from Europe’s leading clubs as he winds down his contract at crisis-torn Chelsea.
Rudiger is one of three senior stars who will become free agents at the end of the season, along with club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Dane Andreas Christensen.
Blues bidders
Raine’s four remaining candidates possess a wealth of experience in sports ownership.
Sir Martin Broughton and Lord Coe’s bid is backed by American financiers Josh Harris and Dave Blitzer.
The duo already own the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, as well as the New Jersey Devils of the NHL.
Also involved is Vivek Ranadive, who owns the Sacramento Kings – the NBA franchise that has currently gone the longest without reaching the play-offs.
Another bid remaining in the process is that of LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly, whose ownership of the MLB franchise has overseen renovations on Dodger Stadium.
Chicago Cubs chief Tom Ricketts’ controversial bid has made it through – despite Chelsea fans’ concerns over Islamophobic emails previously sent by his father Joe.
Under Ricketts family stewardship, the Cubs’ Wrigley Field home underwent a £1bn renovation.
Stephen Pagliuca’s under the radar approach is the fourth to have made the shortlist.
The 67-year-old already owns the Boston Celtics, as well as Serie A side Atalanta.
Chelsea bidders given April 11 deadline
Chelsea’s takeover saga will drag on for another fortnight with the four remaining bidders given until April 11 to submit their final proposals.
The Raine Group have whittled contenders down to a quartet, with an emphasis placed on committing £1billion in future investment into the West London club.
Each will have until April 11 to potentially up their bids, before the Raine Group will make their final decision.
According to Sky Sports, this deadline could see the Blues taken over by the end of the next month.
After Raine decide on their preferred bid, the takeover will still be subject to government approval.
A key deciding factor could be each bidder’s plans to renovate Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge home.
The 40,834 capacity is dwarfed by that of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal’s homes.
Saving Mase
Mason Mount admits that the Chelsea players are in the dark about the future of the club, writes SIMON RICE.
The reigning European champions are in turmoil but a number of billionaire bidders are now scrapping it out to take control of the club – putting the Premier League giants on uncertain ground.
Mount, 23, admits he and his Chelsea team-mates are as unclear as everyone about what the future holds.
Credit: Getty Speaking on England duty he said: “I’ve been at the club since I was six-years-old and something like this has not happened before, so it can be a concern.
“At the beginning, and even now, we don’t really know where it’s going and what’s happening the next day. So it’s difficult.
“But we focus on our football and what we can do is try and win as many games as we can.
“When I go back to Chelsea next week, I’m sure we will be informed about what’s going on because I haven’t heard anything recently.”
His comments come as the preferred Chelsea bidders prepare to hold talks with manager Thomas Tuchel and Marina Granovskaia before a £2.5billion takeover.
Dembele told to take a pay cut
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has issued Chelsea transfer target Ousmane Dembele a blunt warning amid a contract stand-off, writes KOSTAS LIANOS.
Laporta is still holding talks with Dembele, whose deal with Barca runs out in June, and insists he will have to lower his wage demands if he wishes to stay at the Nou Camp.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Barca bigwig has told the winger he will have to adapt to the club’s new salary scale that is set to come into effect next season.
Credit: Rex Laporta also confirmed negotiations are underway with Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Sergi Roberto.
Romano tweeted: “Barcelona president Laporta tells [Mundo Deportivo]: ‘We’ve no news for Ousmane Dembele contract.
‘If he wants to stay, he will have to adapt to our salary scale for next season.
‘Talks are underway with Gavi and Araujo. Sergi Roberto? It’s in the hands of his agent’.”
Dembele has been linked with a Premier League move this summer and Chelsea are among the clubs keeping tabs on him.
However, the Blues are currently unable to buy or sell players after sanctions imposed on departing owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government.
No way, Jose
Eden Hazard’s injury hell at Real Madrid was predicted by his former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in 2015, writes JAKE LAMBOURNE.
Hazard’s spell at Los Blancos has been blighted by repeated setbacks since joining from the Blues three years ago.
Hazard, 31, has picked up his 16th injury at the Bernabeu – with the Belgium international to to have surgery on his right leg in order to remove a plate.
In 2016 it was revealed Hazard was the most fouled player in the Premier League.
A year beforehand, while Mourinho worked with the winger, the Special One warned the forward’s career could be cut short due to constant fouls.
He said: “People are in love with football in this country – people must be in love with Eden Hazard.
“The way, match after match, he’s being punished by opponents and he’s not being protected by referees, maybe one day we won’t have Eden Hazard.”
Incredibly, Hazard has had the same amount of injuries as he has goal contributions for the Spanish side.
His future at Real is in question with it claimed that the club are looking to offload him on loan in the summer to get him off their wage bill.
Good morning to Blues fans
The controversial Ricketts family are the first of Chelsea’s four bidders to reportedly agree £1billion future investment.
It’s claimed the Blues made the huge demand as part of the £2.5-£3bn club takeover.
The four shortlisted consortiums are led by: Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts, ex-Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton, LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, and Boston Celtics and Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca.
Chelsea will give all four the chance to hold talks with manager Thomas Tuchel and director Marina Granovskaia.
And the Ricketts have mounted a huge charm offensive in the past few days following an outcry over historic racism claims.
They flew in to discuss their plans with fans following fierce opposition, including a #NoToRicketts social media campaign.
Tuchel appears to have the backing of all interested parties.
But the repercussions of sanction-hit owner Roman Abramovich being ousted continue.
Juventus, Manchester United and Newcastle could all fight it out for centre-back Antonio Rudiger at the end of the season.
Chelsea hover amid Dembele contract stand-off
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has issued Chelsea transfer target Ousmane Dembele – also linked with Manchester United – a blunt warning amid a contract stand-off.
Laporta is still holding talks with Dembele, whose deal with Barca runs out in June, and insists he will have to lower his wage demands if he wishes to stay at the Nou Camp.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Barca bigwig has told the winger he will have to adapt to the club’s new salary scale that is set to come into effect next season.
Tuchel and Granovskaia to meet bidders
Potential Chelsea buyers will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Thomas Tuchel and Marina Granovskaia before a £2.5billion takeover.
Chelsea have whittled down their list of potential buyers to just a handful of consortiums.
The Blues are now set to choose from options that includes a group involving Seb Coe, ex-Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton and two American businessmen.
And according to The Times, all parties will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Tuchel and director Granovskaia.
Those talks could prove pivotal to swaying who is ultimately named as the preferred bidder.
Granovskaia is close to Abramovich and oversees the club’s transfer business.
The 47-year-old has been a key part of Abramovich’s real inner circle for the best part of two decades.
Utd joined by Juventus in Rudiger race
Juventus are tipped to rival Manchester United and possibly Newcastle for Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger.
The Germany star is one of the Blues whose future seems most uncertain in the summer amid their takeover saga.
Ricketts ‘prepared to meet £1bn demand’
The controversial Ricketts family are reportedly willing to pledge the £1bn squad funding Chelsea want as part of a takeover deal.
The Telegraph say the Chicago Cubs owners – whose offer sparked criticism from Blues fans due to historical racism claims – have already come forward to meet the demand.
The mega-rich family are on the four-bid shortlist to buy out Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich despite a #NoToRicketts social media campaign.
Buy-out contenders must invest hugely in squad
Chelsea’s buyout candidates are mulling over the reported need to commit £1billion to future investment.
Apart from the club’s £3bn takeover valuation, the Blues are said to want guarantees of huge funding for Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
The four consortiums in the running are thought to be: Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family, former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton aided by Sir Seb Coe, LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, and Boston Celtics and Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca.
Juve and Red Devils could battle it out for Rudiger
Juventus are tipped to rival Manchester United and possibly Newcastle for Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger.
The Germany star is one of the Blues whose future seems most uncertain in the summer amid their takeover saga,
Latest: England 2 Switzerland 1
Harry Kane’s 78th minute penalty put England in front for the first time.
Steven Zuber’s handball from a Marc Guehi header was penalised by VAR, enabling Kane to draw level with Bobby Charlton from the spot as the Three Lions’ all-time top scorer on 49 goals.
Click on our match blog HERE for updates from Wembley in this friendly.
H/T: England 1 Switzerland 1
Luke Shaw punished woeful Swiss defending in first-half stoppage time to cancel out Breel Embolo’s superb headed opener.
It rescued the Three Lions’ from a poor show, with Arsenal’s Ben White vulnerable in central defence and the visitors lively
Click on our match blog HERE for updates from Wembley in this friendly.
LATEST: England 0 Switzerland 1
Breel Embolo’s bullet header from a fine cross put the Swiss in front from one of the first moments of real quality.
Arsenal centre-back Ben White should arguably have done much better as he seemed to get stuck underneath the ball.
Click on our match blog HERE for updates from Wembley in this friendly.
LIVE: England 0 Switzerland 0
Our LIVE MATCH BLOG will have blow-by-blow updates.
Click HERE for updates from Wembley as the Three Lions, in their changed blue kit, feel their way into this friendly.
Mount starts for England
Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi and Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters make their England debuts in this evening’s friendly with Switzerland.
Manchester United skipper Harry Kane is only a sub, with Chelsea’s Mason Mount now one of the Three Lions’ more experienced starters.
Palace’s huge input also includes on-loan Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher earning his second cap and Tyrick Mitchell being a sub.
Arsenal anchorman Granit Xhaka and ex-Liverpool playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri start for the visitors.
England XI: Pickford, Walker-Peters, Guehi, Stones, Coady, Shaw, Gallagher, Henderson, Mount, Foden, Kane.
Switzerland XI: Omlin, Widmer, Akanji, Frei, Embolo, Freuler, Xhaka, Steffen, Rodriguez, Vargas, Shaqiri.
Barca warn Chelsea & Utd target Dembele
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has issued Chelsea transfer target Ousmane Dembele – also linked with Manchester United – a blunt warning amid a contract stand-off.
Laporta is still holding talks with Dembele, whose deal with Barca runs out in June, and insists he will have to lower his wage demands if he wishes to stay at the Nou Camp.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Barca bigwig has told the winger he will have to adapt to the club’s new salary scale that is set to come into effect next season.
Laporta also confirmed negotiations are underway with Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Sergi Roberto.
Romano tweeted: “Barcelona president Laporta tells [Mundo Deportivo]: ‘We’ve no news for Ousmane Dembele contract.
‘If he wants to stay, he will have to adapt to our salary scale for next season. ‘Talks are underway with Gavi and Araujo. Sergi Roberto? It’s in the hands of his agent’.”
Dembele has been linked with a Premier League move this summer and Chelsea are among the clubs keeping tabs on him.
Gabriel talks Slo up
Talks between Chelsea and Chicago Fire’s Gabriel Slonina have broken down, according to reports.
The Blues had originally agreed to sign Slonina, 17, for a fee of around £5.5million.
However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the deal recently collapsed due to the sanctions that have been placed on the club by the UK Government.
On Twitter, he announced: “Chelsea were in advanced talks to sign talented Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, born in 2004.
“The plan was to sign Slonina for £5/6m fee, then loan him back to Chicago until 2023.
“Talks have now broken down due to UK sanctions.”
Ex-Chelsea Marin announces retirement from football aged 33
Former Chelsea midfielder Marko Marin has announced that he will retire at the end of the season.
Marin, 33, played for 12 clubs during his time as a professional footballer, including Werder Bremen and Sevilla.
He failed to properly establish himself in the Premier League despite winning the Europa League with the Blues.
Credit: Getty Images – Getty Marin rarely had a spot in the starting line-up whilst at Chelsea, so the club decided to loan him out for four consecutive seasons before selling him to Olympiacos in 2016.
The midfielder currently plays for Ferencvaros where he has scored one goal in 13 appearances so far this season.
However, Marin has made it clear that he has no intention to continue playing once the season is over.
Shortlisted bidders to meet with Tuchel and Granovskaia
Potential Chelsea buyers will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Thomas Tuchel and Marina Granovskaia before a £2.5billion takeover.
Chelsea have whittled down their list of potential buyers to just a handful of consortiums.
The Blues are now set to choose from options that includes a group involving Seb Coe, ex-Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton and two American businessmen.
And according to The Times, all parties will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Tuchel and director Granovskaia.
Those talks could prove pivotal to swaying who is ultimately named as the preferred bidder.
Granovskaia is close to Abramovich and oversees the club’s transfer business.
The 47-year-old has been a key part of Abramovich’s real inner circle for the best part of two decades.
Chicago Fire keeper transfer is barred by sanctions
Talks between Chelsea and Chicago Fire’s Gabriel Slonina have broken down, according to reports.
The Blues had originally agreed to sign Slonina, 17, for a fee of around £5.5million.
However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the deal recently collapsed due to the sanctions that have been placed on the club by the UK Government.
On Twitter, he announced: “Chelsea were in advanced talks to sign talented Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, born in 2004.
“The plan was to sign Slonina for £5/6m fee, then loan him back to Chicago until 2023.
“Talks have now broken down due to UK sanctions.”
Hazard unlikely to play in quarter-final clash
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard is unlikely to be involved in the Champions League quarter-final clash against former club Chelsea.
That is according to The Athletic, who report that Hazard is a doubt for the first leg against the Blues on April 6 at Stamford Bridge due to injury.
The winger is expected to have surgery on his right leg in order to remove a plate, which was implanted after he broke his ankle in March 2020.
Credit: AP Real released the following statement: “In the coming days, our player, Eden Hazard, will undergo surgery to remove the osteosynthesis plate in his right fibula.”
Hazard has been enduring another difficult season marred by injury as he has only made eight starts in LaLiga this season.
The Belgium international has fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
