Deadline for Chelsea sale passes - here's who submitted offers to buy the club

The 9pm deadline for bids to buy Chelsea has passed, with consortiums led by Nick Candy, the Ricketts family and Sir Martin Broughton and Lord Sebastian Coe among the bidders.

The sale has come amid UK and EU sanctions on Roman Abramovich following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Chelsea also under a number of restrictions.

The club - including women and youth teams - cannot sell tickets to games or sell merchandise and are restricted on how much they can spend on any given game day.

It is a unique situation for many reasons, but especially that a club like Chelsea does not become available on the open market very often, if ever.

They are one of the biggest clubs in the world - the world and European champions - so there is a lot of interest.

Nick Candy says he will put fans at the heart of the club

Mr Candy, a British Luxury property developer, has pledged to have fan representation on the club's board if he is successful.

He confirmed he is leading a global consortium to purchase Chelsea that includes South Korea's Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group - and has submitted a bid of £2bn.

He said: "Chelsea is one of the most iconic and successful professional football clubs in the world, with a rich heritage, global following, and a highly valuable brand.

"Football clubs are vitally important community and cultural assets, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give football back to the fans and put them at the heart of the operations and strategy of a leading global football club."

Ricketts family say they know how to run a successful team

The Ricketts family - owners of the Chicago Cubs and one of the biggest names linked with a big - also confirmed on Friday evening that they are leading an investment