Conor McGregor is not one of them
Since Roman Abramovich confirmed his intention to sell Chelsea on Wednesday evening, more than 300 parties have expressed interest in buying the club, according to ESPN.
At least 10 of those are reported to be credible buyers, with the capability of funding the £3bn takeover. Conor McGregor, the MMA star whose net worth is in the region of £150m, is not one of them.
Abramovich has tasked Raine Group, a New York based merchant bank, with finding a buyer for the club he bought in 2003, as the threat of financial sanctions in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine looms.
Many of the interested parties are based in the USA, with RedBird Capital Partners reportedly assessing the feasibility of putting together a £3bn bid for the Champions League holders.
RedBird Capital Partners are a Manhattan based private equity company, founded by Gerry Cardinale, who was touted as a potential future owner of Liverpool back in October, having made investments in Fenway Sports Group.
Michael Rubin, owner of sports merchandise company Fanatics, is also reported to have expressed interest, although a spokesperson denied any intention to buy Chelsea.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss was the first name linked with a bid for the west London club, and ESPN report he is working alongside Todd Boehly, part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the LA Lakers, on a bid for the club.
Raine Group have set a deadline of March 15 for interested parties to submit ‘first indications’ of an offer.
Conor McGregor has publicly expressed his desire to buy Chelsea, tweeting “I hereby put forward my offer of £1.5bn”, though it has not been confirmed whether quote tweeting Sky News counts as an official bid.
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