Chelsea’s new owner Todd Bowley was expected to attend the first match after signing a 4.25 billion pound deal to buy the club when the Wolves go to Stamford Bridge
- Chelsea announced that Todd Boelli signed the agreement in the early hours of Saturday
- Boelli was in London on Friday night before his purchase was announced
- The American billionaire must be present at the clash of the Wolves
- The Wolves will be Chelsea’s first opponents since the announcement
From Liam Morgan to Mailonline
Posted: 06:52, 7 May 2022 | Updated: 07:58, 7 May 2022
New Chelsea owner Todd Boelli is expected to be in the stands to watch the Premier League clash with the Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, less than 24 hours after his consortium signed an agreement to take over the club for 4.25 billion pounds.
Eldridge Industries CEO Boelli was in London on Friday night before Chelsea made an official announcement at 1:37 a.m. Saturday morning.
Chelsea’s home game against the Wolves will gain additional significance, as this will be the first game the American has attended since the confirmation that the sale will take place.
Todd Boelli’s consortium already owns Chelsea after the purchase was confirmed on Saturday
Boelli is expected to be in the stands when Chelsea host the Wolves at Stamford Bridge
The announcement will be welcome news for concerned Chelsea fans after their club was thrown into turmoil by government sanctions against former owner Roman Abramovich.
The Boehly consortium was named as the preferred bidder for Stamford Bridge by Raine Group, the US bank that oversaw the sale.
He has partnered with fellow Dodgers owner Mark Walter, Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Vis and investment firm Clearlake Capital.
Boehly overtook competition from consortia led by Stephen Palyuka and Sir Martin Broughton, and even made a late bid of £ 4.25 billion from Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The richest man in the United Kingdom, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, had made a final offer to buy the club from Roman Abramovich
The deal, expected to be completed in May after being signed by the government and the Premier League, marks the end of a period of significant uncertainty for Chelsea after the government sanctioned former owner Abramovich in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich, who sold his shares after being sanctioned for his ties to Vladimir Putin, attended his first game as owner in more than three years, when Chelsea drew 1-1 with Manchester United in November.
The Russian has not been to Stamford Bridge since 2018 before the match against United due to complications with his visa.
Fears have risen this week that Abramovich may fail to keep his promise to write off a £ 1.6bn loan and leave the Blues in jeopardy.
The Boehly consortium was identified as the preferred bidder by the Raine Group
The news, which came in the early hours of Saturday, will be a welcome relief for Chelsea fans
This would throw a big key in the work for a possible takeover, as the UK ministers approving the sale did not want any of the proceeds to go to the Russians.
Instead, they wanted the money to go to help rebuild Ukraine after being attacked by Russian troops.
Chelsea confirmed in a statement that “£ 2.5 billion will be used to buy shares in the club and that proceeds will be deposited in a frozen bank account in the UK with the intention of donating 100 per cent to charities, as confirmed by Roman Abramovich. “
“In addition, the proposed new owners will commit £ 1.75 billion for additional investment in favor of the club. This includes investments in Stamford Bridge, the Academy, the Women’s Team and Kingsmeadow and ongoing funding for the Chelsea Foundation.
“The sale is expected to be completed by the end of May, subject to all necessary regulatory approvals. More details will be provided at this time.
Add Comment