Chelsea players 'uncomfortable' with prospect of Ricketts family becoming new owners

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Chelsea players are said to hold serious reservations about the Ricketts Family’s pursuit of the Premier League club with the deadline for bids now just hours away.

Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale at the start of the month in an attempt to cash in on the Blues ahead of potential sanctions from the UK Government. However, hopes of a quick sale were dashed when the 55-year-old had his assets frozen due to his links with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The club have since been forced to operate under a strict new licence which prohibits Abramovich from receiving any financial income. The British government have since confirmed they will allow a takeover, on the proviso the Russian billionaire sees none of the funds generated by the sale.

American merchant bank Raine Group, along with the government, are in charge of the acquisition, which will see any prospective suitor pay more than £2billion for the current European and World champions. It is believed as many as 10 prospective parties are currently in the running, including suitors from the United States and Saudi Arabia.

The Ricketts Family - who currently own baseball giants Chicago Cubs - have publicly confirmed their intention to launch a bid ahead of Friday’s deadline. Any interested parties will need to officially lodge an offer