Houston Rockets owner latest to weigh Chelsea FC bid amid sale
The owner of NBA team Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta, is said to have expressed interest in purchasing Chelsea Football Club.
Fertitta, whose wealth is estimated to be north of £4.5bn, is among a group of potential buyers who have been given access to a data room relating to the sale of the Stamford Bridge club, Sky’s Mark Kleinman reports.
This comes as the Daily Mail report that over 200 individuals are interested in buying Chelsea – which was put up for sale by owner Roman Abramovich before the UK government sanctioned him for his links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Sanctions imposed on Abramovich mean the club has been placed under a series of strict licenses which restrict its ability to but players, overspend on away travel and sell tickets to future matches.
It is yet unclear as to whether Fertitta will table a bid for the Blues, who have been owned by Abramovich since 2003.
This comes as the Saudi Media Group were reportedly interested in a £2.7bn bid for the club, though this is yet to be confirmed.
Other interested parties include property developer and Chelsea fan Nick Candy and various other US franchise owners.
Meanwhile, the 20 Premier League clubs met today with Chelsea’s chairman, Bruce Buck, facing questions on various issues including whether the club would complete the domestic season.