Ratcliffe rivals U.S. offers with late $5B bid for Chelsea

By ROB HARRIS
AP Global Soccer Writer

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has launched a late bid to buy Chelsea for 4.25 billion pounds ($5.3 billion). Rival offers featuring American investors were already being assessed as the sale process is nearing a conclusion. The Premier League club was put up for sale in March after Russia owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government over his ties to President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine. Ratcliffe is the chairman of chemical giant INEOS. He is a Chelsea fan who owns European teams Nice and Lausanne as well as a cycling team and Britain’s America’s Cup sailing team.