BOEHLY GROUP ‘IN FRONT’ IN RACE TO BUY CHELSEA

THE group led by US tycoon Todd Boehly are leading the race to buy Chelsea, according to rivals. As the bidding process draws to a conclusion, the three groups vying to take over at Stamford Bridge expect to discover in the next few days whether they have been successful in their attempts to be named as the preferred bidder by Chelsea and Raine — the merchant bank tasked with selling the club. Boehly, who leads the consortium that also includes Swiss businessman Hansjorg Wyss, was among the first to throw his hat into the ring after Chelsea were put up for sale by Roman Abramovich. And sources close to one of the rival parties — who include the consortium headed by British businessman Sir Martin Broughton and the group led by Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca — have told Sportsmail that they believe Boehly’s bid is in front, heading into the final days of the process. The groups led by Broughton and Pagliuca are not giving up hope, but there is a belief that Boehly’s bid is the one to beat. Boehly is understood to be the bidder with the most accessible available cash, which strengthens his group’s offer. And it emerged yesterday that Abramovich is demanding an additional £500million for the club. It was claimed that the Russian has asked for the extra sum to boost what will be a charitable donation from the sale that could reach £1billion. The total deal for Chelsea could reach close to £3bn but Abramovich will not receive a penny from the sale after being sanctioned by the Government.