Ricketts family out of Chelsea ownership chase as well thanks to ‘renewed scrutiny’ — report

Despite previous claims that the Ricketts’ family are present on the final shortlist of Chelsea’s future potential owners, it appears that the voices of the people (ed.note: or rather, the patriarch's) have been heard, and their bid has been knocked back, as per the Financial Times.

The #NoToRicketts hashtag on Twitter reached fervorous heights over the past couple of days, as Chelsea fans stood to express their disdain over the prospective buyers due to sporting and, most importantly, social issues.

The Chicago Cubs’ owners did attempt to sway public opinion to their favor by attempting to meet with Chelsea fan groups, releasing a statement to address the accusations, and also getting themselves endorsed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Chicago. However those seem to have come to no avail to their bid.

In hindsight, this is probably the best outcome anyway. Regardless of whether the vilification is justified or not, we should agree that it is best for the club to avoid any more unnecessary controversy right now.

Speaking of bidders who actually have a chance, the only remaining ones appear to be the Todd Boehly-fronted consortium and the investor group led by Sir Martin Broughton that includes Josh Harris and David Blitzer, according to the same report by the Financial Times.

Nick Candy’s group, as well as Centricus are not expected to progress to the next stage. And Saudi Media Group (SMG)’s offer, despite their reported willingness to spend big on Chelsea from the moment they set their foot on Stamford Bridge, was seemingly not competitive and heavily reliant on debt financing.

And so, it appears that the process has now arrived to the final stage. A straight shootout between two parties should determine who gets control of one of the greatest assets in the sporting world at an above-market rate, to the dismay of many rivals.