Manager Thomas Tuchel hopes for quick conclusion to Chelsea sale saga

By AFP

LONDON: Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich put the Premier League club on the market in March, just days before he was sanctioned by the British government following the invasion of Ukraine.

After a lengthy bidding process involving several groups, Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Boehly and his fellow investors were picked by Raine Group, the New York bank overseeing Chelsea’s sale.

Boehly’s bid is expected to be put forward to the Premier League to undergo owners and directors tests, with the government required to grant the eventual sale by issuing a new licence.

Abramovich this week denied reports he is asking for a £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) loan to be repaid for the sale to go through.

But, with Chelsea currently operating under the special license, which imposes several restrictions including a ban on signing new players and renewing contracts, there were fears over the future of the club if a sale wasn’t completed before the end of May.

However, Tuchel is confident the deal will be wrapped up in time for Chelsea to plan for next season.

“I’ve been told last week that we have a preferred bidder and things are going forward,” Tuchel told reporters on Friday.

“It’s a pretty important week for the club, but I was fully focused on the pitch. But after what I heard last week, I’m confident.

“Clearance is always the best, because when the situation is clear you can take actions, make judgements, take actions.

“Otherwise you’re in a passive role, and this is what we are right now.”

After initially embarking on a long winning run following Abramovich’s decision to sell the club, Chelsea have struggled to find their best form recently.

They suffered a painful Champions League quarter-final defeat at Real Madrid after nearly pulling off an epic comeback from a 3-1 first leg deficit.

Chelsea’s place in the Premier League’s top four is also far from guaranteed.

The Blues sit in third place, five points clear of fifth placed Tottenham with four games left in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Tuchel conceded the speculation over Chelsea’s future was hard for his players to completely block out.

“We tried to make it the smallest issue possible, but of course it is always there,” he said ahead of Saturday’s home game against Wolves.

“We prefer to have it in a clear and forward-thinking situation.

“This is what we’re hoping for, we know what we deal with, this is what the circumstances are in improving the team, and that we can act, rather than react, or even worse, do nothing.”