Chelsea set for new era after UK government authorises sale to Todd Boehly-led consortium

Todd Boehly-led consortium set to complete £4.25 billion purchase of Premier League club

New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, right, with chairman Bruce Buck at Stamford Bridge during the match against Wolves on Saturday, May 7, 2022. AP

Todd Boehly, centre, at Stamford Bridge during the match against Wolves. Getty

Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku, left, celebrates scoring against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on May 7, 2022. PA

Conor Coady of Wolverhampton Wanderers after scoring the late equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Getty

Chelsea's striker Romelu Lukaku, left, after scoring the second goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge. AFP

Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku scores his side's first goal of the game from the penalty spot. PA

Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku scored both the goals for his team. Reuters

Chelsea's new owner Todd Boehly, centre, celebrates Romelu Lukaku's goal. Reuters

Chelsea's new owner Todd Boehly celebrates the team's first goal, which was disallowed following a VAR review. AFP

Chelsea's manager Thomas Tuchel. EPA

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Francisco Trincao scores at Stamford Bridge. PA

Chelsea are a major step closer to having new owners after the UK government on Wednesday said it had issued its approval to the Todd Boehly-led consortium to complete its takeover of the Premier League club.

Nadine Dorries, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said she had issued a licence permitting the deal late on Tuesday, shortly after it won approval from the Premier League.

"We are satisfied the proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or other sanctioned individuals," Dorries tweeted.

"Given the sanctions we placed on those linked to (Vladimir) Putin and the bloody invasion of Ukraine, the long-term future of the club can only be secured under a new owner," she said.

A consortium led by Boehly, the co-owner of baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, had already agreed a record £4.25 billion ($5.3bn) deal to buy the Premier League club from Abramovich on May 7.

The Premier League said its approval hinged on the government sale licence "and the satisfactory completion of the final stages of the transaction".

Officials wanted everything completed on Tuesday so Chelsea could meet all registration deadlines for next season's football competitions.

Abramovich put Chelsea on the market in early March, just before he was sanctioned by the British government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Completing the purchase has been a lengthy process due to government concerns over the potential for Abramovich to profit from the sale.

The total value of the deal smashes the previous record for the sale of a sports team – $2.4bn for the New York Mets baseball franchise in 2020.

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