After Chelsea's owner revealed that the London club is up for sale, it has been claimed that a billionaire is interested in purchasing last season's UEFA Champions League winners, with the Blues said to be valued at £3 billion (R61 billion).
According to the Daily Mail, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Todd Boehly, is among those believed to be interested in buying Chelsea.
It was announced on Wednesday night that the club will be sold amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich said to have come under pressure from the UK government due to his alleged ties to Vladimir Putin.
Swiss businessman Hansjorg Wyss is believed to also be a part of the potential deal, having recently revealed that he has been approached to buy the Blues.
As per Swiss publication Blick, an official offer from Boehly and Wyss, and others in their consortium, is likely to arrive soon.
Boehly, who is estimated to be worth £4.72 billion (R97 billion), is a part-owner of baseball team LA Dodgers and basketball team Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Los Angeles Sparks, Cloud9 and DraftKings.
Wyss, meanwhile, is said to have a net worth of £4.3 billion (R88 billion).
In his statement, Abramovich said he has set up a charity that will benefit victims of the war in Ukraine.
"The sale of the Club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process. I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid," he wrote.
"This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club. Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.
"The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery."
