Saudi Media Group are said to have submitted an offer worth £2.7bn to buy Chelsea.
Current Blues owner Roman Abramovich is looking to sell the club after the UK government added it to sanctions on Thursday, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Competing federations backed by the United States were considered the frontrunners for the agreement, with about 20 different parties expressing their interest. One of these groups, Saudi Media Group, has now intensified its efforts to buy Chelsea by sending their first offer.
According to Ben Jacobs, the bid is at £ 2.7bn. SMG owner, Mohamed Alkhereiji, is said to be a staunch supporter of Chelsea and his ‘private organization’ is said to have no direct government links.
However, Mohammed bin Khalid Al Saud, head of the state-owned Saudi Telecom Company, was involved in funding the application. In addition, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud – the crown prince of Saudi Arabia – also appears on Alkhereiji’s profile picture on social media.
Those in charge of the Chelsea sale are known to favor the new owners who have not changed in the geopolitical landscape to avoid duplication of Abrahamovich’s status. This could not be confirmed by Al Saud’s significant involvement.
His links with the Saudi Telecom Company will be problematic as well. Chelsea are currently backed by telecommunications rivals from the three countries, which are likely to permanently sever their ties if the Saudi Media Group enters.
Earlier this week it was reported that the SMG proposal included promises to renew the contracts of Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta, as well as invest more in Stamford Bridge.
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