The most turbulent period in the history of the club is far from over as fans, staff, and players face an uncertain future.
The consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly was confirmed as the preferred bidder on Friday, despite British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe attempting to gatecrash the process with a last-ditch offer.
The Boehly camp is in the driver's seat to become the new club's new owners, finally drawing a line under the situation as Ratcliffe remains hopeful of a late change of heart.
It has been 67 days since Abramovich tried to distance himself from the club in order to avoid having to sell it. As it quickly became clear that the charitable entity was simply incapable of running one of the biggest clubs in the world, the Russian oligarch announced within three days that he had sold the club.
As a freezable asset, the UK government's decision to sanction Abramovich for alleged ties to Russia's president meant that he had to apply for a special licence to continue operating. The club shop and hotel were closed, travel plans were compromised, and transfers were banned as the UK government tried to make sure that the business did not make a profit.
According to reports on Tuesday, the U.K. government may be unwilling to approve a deal if the money is returned. According to a source at the club, the club is trying to complete something that can take up to a year to complete.
As the most prominent public-facing employee, head coach Thomas Tuchel faced questions no other contemporary has ever faced, negotiating each hurdle with a mixture of humility and effort as he looked to keep the season on track.
The cracks have begun to show. Four defeats in nine matches has led to the end of their title defence and triggered nervous looks over their shoulder as they try to avoid being dragged into a scrap for a top four finish.
The suspension on transfers until a takeover is completed means that they risk being left behind by their rivals in the summer window, as evidenced by the fact that key defender Antonio Rudiger will leave for Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of the season.
We would have some targets and would usually contact some players to find out about their situations, but now our hands are tied.
The Blues temporary licence to operate runs out on May 31 and the deal is urgent. A closer look at the squad shows how important decisions must be made in order for the new era to start with a bang.
The club will try to sell Kepa Arrizabalaga at the end of the season, despite the fact that Edouard Mendy is the number one. While Mendy was away at the African Cup of Nations, the Brazilian was facing a fight to save his Blues career. Kepa came off the bench to miss the decisive spot-kick as the Blues lost the Carabao Cup Final to the Reds.
According to sources, Kepa has worked hard to improve his style of goalkeeping, making him more aggressive and learning to command his box better, but there is still a desire within the club to move him on. Kepa's contract is worth around 150,000-a-week and could limit the number of suitors.
According to sources, the decision of Rudiger to leave has been a big blow to the team and their coach. The talks over the wage demands of Rudiger have not been able to continue because of the sanctions. Rival overseas clubs are trying to exploit the uncertainty by talking about the clarity that would come with a move away. A formal announcement is expected soon, as Real Madrid have won the race to sign Rudiger.
According to sources, Christensen had all but agreed on terms for a new contract earlier in the season, but then increased his demands and talks stopped before the enforced hiatus due to the sanctions. Barcelona have not given up hope that Cesar Azpilicueta will leave this summer despite the one-year extension he received from the club.
Losing all three would be a major hole in the squad since Thiago Silva is 38 years old in September and Malang and Trevoh are not proven over a long period at the highest level.
Sevilla's Jules Kounde has an 80m release clause in his contract, which makes it vulnerable to a rival swooping in. The club were thought to be considering an improved deal for James, who is currently contracted to the club until 2025.
A source has said that Tuchel would be willing to sell Marcos Alonso if a suitable buyer could be found with Ben Chilwell hoping to return from a knee injury in time for next season.
The entire loan policy may be reviewed by a new owner, since it has proven highly profitable in the past.
Much of the attention in recent months has been on the futures of the three defenders, but that has masked a similar issue rapidly approaching in the middle.
The two hugely influential players for Tuchel, N&Golo Kante and Jorginho, are out of contract in three years.
It would be nice if we could avoid more players running down deals, but it is difficult at the moment because of the sanctions.
Two examples of players who left because the club were unwilling to sanction long-term deals for players over 30 are Willian and Cesc Fabregas. It is impossible to know if the new owners would continue with this policy.
Another factor is the return of the man who was at Crystal Palace for a long time. At the London Football Awards, the 22-year-old won Young Player of the Year and Tuchel spoke highly of him prior to the FA Cup semi-final against Palace.
Saul Niguez is expected to return to Atletico Madrid, but there are other possible departures.
According to sources, Mason Mount's contract is not being extended because of sanctions, but once again, talks have not been able to begin. Mount has two years left on his current deal and negotiations are expected as soon as possible.
Both Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi have deals that are set to expire in 2024. Both players have struggled for fitness and not played as much as they would have liked, despite the fact that Pulisic insisted he was relaxed about the situation last month. Billy Gilmour may be in line for a more prominent role once he returns from his loan spell.
Since February 20, Romelu has started three games. The situation is unsustainable for a signing in the peak years of his career. Tuchel handled the initial public backlash well, but the damage done by his December Sky Italia interview in which he discussed a possible return to Inter Milan may be permanent. It's not hard to imagine the club considering a transfer for the 28-year-old, especially as those fees could be reinvested elsewhere.
Before the sanctions, it was expected that the English club would be willing to allow Timo Werner to leave after two bad seasons. It's not clear whether the 20-year-old is ready for first-team football at the moment, but he has impressed on loan at Saints.
He will have to make a lot of decisions this summer. The clock is already running.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
