The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) has told Sir Jim Ratcliffe it has concerns about his ability to buy the club after making a late bid on Friday.Â
Ratcliffe, who owns energy firm Ineos, made his offer on the same day as LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly was selected as the preferred bidder.
He told BBC Sport he is “not giving up” on buying Chelsea despite reports his £4.25bn bid had been rejected.
CST said it was concerned if the bid could complete before 31 May deadline.
That is when the government’s operating licence for the club comes to an end after owner Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale and was sanctioned in March.
Any bid must still pass the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test and be signed off by the government.
“Any delay to this process could risk the future of Chelsea FC,” a CST statement said. “All parties must ensure the sustainability and future of the club is safeguarded.”
A consortium headed by Boehly emerged as the preferred bidder after other bids from Sir Martin Broughton and Stephen Pagliuca were shortlisted.
But in addition to Ratcliffe’s late bid, the process has been complicated by the terms of the sale being changed by Abramovich last week.
Some reports have said the government is also concerned the Russian billionaire wants his £1.5bn loan to Chelsea to be repaid, having initially said he would write it off.
The terms of the sanctions mean he cannot receive money. When Abramovich put the club up for sale he said proceeds would go to victims of the war in Ukraine.
CST board members met Ratcliffe and said they were “grateful to Ineos for their transparency” and “welcomed the introduction of measures to protect the club’s heritage and ensure supporter sentiment is represented”.
But it said that during the meeting it “outlined our concerns regarding Ineos’ ability to complete the purchase of Chelsea before the 31 May deadline.
“This is particularly so given, by their own admission, they are outside of the process and have been, according to reports, ‘rejected out of hand’ by Raine [which is handling the sale]. We would welcome further discussion in the event that this situation changes.
“It is essential that the sale of Chelsea FC is completed swiftly and transparently. We urge the current ownership, Raine and the UK Government to ensure this happens.”
It added that “proceeds of sale, if any, should be allocated to victims of the war in Ukraine”.
