Candy pledges fans' seat on board | EU considers sanctioning Abramovich

The property developer Nick Candy has promised to give Chelsea fans a seat on its board if his bid to buy the Stamford Bridge club is successful.

Candy's declaration comes against a backdrop of senior executives at Chelsea trying to work out how the club can sustain itself financially if it is not sold as quickly as possible.

The investment bank handling the sale of the club has asked for best bids to be submitted by Friday.

The UK Government is committed to keeping Chelsea in business and is overseeing the sale - it regards Chelsea as a "significant cultural asset" which needs to be protected.

Candy is in talks with financiers about joining his bid ahead of the deadline, and is also offering to provide short-term funding to Chelsea if it faces a cash crunch following the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich. Sanctioning Abramovich has also been discussed by the European Union during talks in Brussels.

EU ambassadors met for talks in Brussels about sanctioning more Russian businessmen because of their links to Vladimir Putin. Abramovich is one of 15 names under consideration. Alisher Usmanov, who has commercial ties with Everton, was sanctioned by the EU earlier this month.

Candy's offer for Chelsea would be subject to compliance with the strict conditions imposed by the government as part of the licence granted last week that enables the club to continue operating.

Last season's Champions League winners have been thrown into disarray by Russia's war on Ukraine, with Mr Abramovich initially proposing to place the club in the care of its foundation and then formally putting it up for sale.

"I've supported Chelsea since I was the age of four," Mr Candy told Sky Sports. "My dad was asked to play for Chelsea. I love