Chelsea news LIVE: Boston Celtics owner Pagliuca BREAKS silence on Chelsea takeover plans – Real Madrid build up

OWNER of Boston Celtics Stephen Pagliuca has broken his silence on current plans to takeover Chelsea football club.

The Bain Capital chairman has hinted that he is willing to sell his stake with Italian outfit Atalanta for the takeover to go through.

It's been reported that the Government are willing to speed through the process with all final offers to be made by THIS THURSDAY.

Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel is hopeful of a comeback story against Real Madrid.

Chelsea are currently trailing 3-1 in the tie, but the Blues boss believes his players are capable of overturning the deficit.

And keep up to date with all the build up surrounding the Blues' TONIGHT'S Champions League clash with Madrid.

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Keep up to date with all of the latest updates from the takeover in our live blog…

  • Sam Dymond

    Lord Bilimoria 'key' to Ricketts bid

    Another of Chelsea's prospective owners have been busy this afternoon with the Ricketts family set to announce Lord Bilimoria as a key figure in their bid to buy the club.

    The founder of Cobra Beer and outgoing president of the CBI is viewed as integral to the Ricketts Family Investment Group's takeover, particularly in repairing relations with the Stamford Bridge faithful.

    Chelsea supporters have so far been cold to the idea of the Ricketts as owners, but may be somewhat appeased by the instalment of Bilimoria – a Blues season ticket holder – as club director.

    A statement from Tom Ricketts read: “Given Lord Bilimoria’s unparalleled credentials and his love for Chelsea, he is the perfect addition to our team."

  • Sam Dymond

    Taylor in charge of semi

    Anthony Taylor will referee this weekend's FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

    The Blues take on the Eagles at Wembley on Sunday, and travelling fans won't have the best memories of Taylor officiating their games at the national stadium.

    The referee was in charge for both of Chelsea's 2-1 defeats to Arsenal inFA Cup finals, first in May 2017 and then again in August 2020.

    On both occasions, Taylor sent off a Chelsea player – Victor Moses and Mateo Kovacic – while also awarding the Gunners a penalty in their most recent meeting.

  • Sam Dymond

    Pagliuca breaks silence with statement

    Steve Pagliuca, the private equity billionaire in the running to buy Chelsea, has finally spoken publicly by releasing a statement regarding his intentions and future plans for the football club.

    Among his words wishing Thomas Tuchel and the team good luck for tonight's game in Madrid, the co-owner of Boston Celtics suggested that he would be willing to relinquish his recently-acquired stake in Serie A side Atalanta in order to complete the deal for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

    His statement read: "Later this week, we will submit a substantial and credible bid proposal – one that we expect will meet the respective requirements and regulations of the Premier League, UK Government and UEFA – and we pledge to honor our commitment to credibility and good guardianship of Chelsea Football Club from day one.

  • Sam Dymond

    Ancelotti: Chelsea will be better

    Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is expecting a different Chelsea when the sides renew battle for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final this evening.

    Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the former Blues boss revealed that his side could not take anything for granted despite their dominant win in last Wednesday's first leg.

    "We have a lot of respect for this team. This team has a lot of quality, and a lot of fantastic skill among its players," said Ancelotti.

    "The only way we can prepare for this kind of game is by thinking that Chelsea is going to show a better performance."

  • Sam Dymond

    Blues need to make history

    If Chelsea's defence of their European title is to continue beyond this evening, then their star-studded team will have to make history.

    The Blues trail Real Madrid 3-1 following a first leg humbling at Stamford Bridge, but Thomas Tuchel maintains his men are still 'dreaming' of a sensational second leg comeback.

    While away goals are no longer a concern in the Champions League, the Blues must win by at least two goals to even force extra-time in the Spanish capital.

    However, no English side has ever before won by more than one at the Bernabeu.

    Could this be the night?

  • Sam Dymond

    Tuchel fortunate for Roman exit

    Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson believes that Thomas Tuchel can count himself lucky that Roman Abramovich is no longer in charge of the club.

    The former right-back was the first signing of the Abramovich-era at Stamford Bridge, and has seen firsthand the Russian's cutthroat manner in dealing with managers.

    And Johnson believes that the current Blues boss may have been in trouble had the previous owner been present for last week's home defeat in the Champions League – despite having won the competition nine months earlier.

    “Real Madrid can beat anyone, but it was the manner in which Chelsea got beat at Stamford Bridge. That was disappointing thing," Johnson told bettingodds.com.

    "It was more about that. I think Tuchel would be looking over his shoulder a lot more if Roman was still there.

    “None of us want to see people losing their jobs after six months, eight months, eighteen months or whatever, but no one can complain about the success [of doing that] at Chelsea. It has clearly worked.

    "And I guess the managers know what they’re signing up for. If you’re going to Chelsea, you know you’ve got a gun to your head. You have to perform immediately.

    "Maybe that makes the managers perform out of their skin immediately and maybe the players know that as well and feel it. It has worked. I don’t like to see people getting sacked but it has worked.”

  • Sam Dymond

    Toon tracking Chelsea academy duo

    Newcastle United are eyeing a double swoop on Chelsea — for academy chiefs Neil Bath and Jim Fraser.

    St James’ Park bosses want to persuade the duo to help them revamp their youth system.

    Bath, as Chelsea’s head of youth development, has led an Academy that does more than produce players for the Blues’ first team like Reece James, Mason Mount and Andreas Christensen.

    It has also helped Chelsea generate significant sums of money from selling on those who do not make the grade.

    Sources claim Newcastle’s interest in the pair is being discussed among agents and academy personnel across the Premier League.

  • Sam Dymond

    Lukaku's Inter return in balance

    Romelu Lukaku's hopes of a return to Inter Milan this summer hang in the balance after the club's president Massimo Moratti revealed that they are also considering a move for Paulo Dybala.

    Lukaku left Inter last August to join Chelsea in a £100million deal, but the transfer has been nothing short of a shambles.

    The Belgian has indicated on more than one occasion that he would welcome a move back to the San Siro, and to the club which he fired to the Serie A title during 2020-21.

    However, the Blues will be expecting to make the majority of their money back on any deal while their other target – Dybala – is available on a free transfer following the conclusion of his contract at Juventus.

    Moratti told Rai (via Goal): "I’d always sign Dybala, he is really strong. However, I believe Inter need a centre forward. If it’s not Lukaku, Inter will need a new one anyway."

  • Sam Dymond

    Tuchel dreaming of Bernabeu comeback

    Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is allowing himself to 'dream' of an epic comeback as tonight's Champions League quarter-final second leg with Real Madrid draws closer.

    The European champions are 3-1 down from the first game at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, after which Tuchel had declared the tie over.

    But now the German is calling upon his players to pull off something special despite the huge task ahead of them.

    "The task is incredibly high and the challenge is incredibly high given the circumstances of the first leg, where we play, against whom we play and at what stage we play this kind of match," admitted Tuchel.

    "It is sometimes important to imagine things and to dream about it, but it will not shift the focus from the fact that we need to deliver and we need to be ready.

    "We will arrive and try everything because it's worth trying. From there we see and, hopefully, we have a match where belief grows within the match by our actions and, hopefully, we can fulfil our dream, live up to our dream."

  • Etienne Fermie

    Morning, Chelsea fans

    Thomas Tuchel faces surely his biggest one-off challenge as Chelsea boss tonight.

    Overturning Real Madrid's 3-1 lead from the Stamford Bridge first leg to reach the Champions League semis looks even more difficult than beating Manchester City in last season's final.

    But Chelsea pulled that feat off and Blues' chief Tuchel insists his players are confident for this evening.

    Likewise, counterpart Carlo Ancelotti warned his Real Madrid players that Chelsea will scrap for their lives.

    Romelu Lukaku again looks set to miss out through injury – but in-form Kai Havertz would surely have kept his place up front for the Blues anyway.

    Meanwhile, the Government is reportedly prepared to speed through Chelsea’s sale to any of the four shortlisted bidders.

    Final offers must be made by this Thursday.

    And New York merchant bank the Raine Group could then present a preferred bidder to Downing Street next week

    The consortium of Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly has toured Chelsea’s training facilities as they finalise their approach.

    And it's expected whichever consortium is accepted will have to fork out about £3billion.

    Finally, on the transfer front, the Blues could join Manchester United and Arsenal in a £67million summer battle for Benfica hitman Darwin Nunez.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Gunners receive Hazard warning

    Arsenal have suffered a setback in their attempts to sign Eden Hazard on loan, according to the press in Spain.

    Cadena Ser report that the Belgian is set to reject the Gunners and AC Milan in order to join Borussia Dortmund.

    Hazard’s younger brother, Thorgan, currently plays with the Bundesliga club, who are thought to enjoy a strong relationship with those at the Bernabeu.

    Arsenal had hoped to bring Hazard back to London for the season following a torrid three-year spell in LaLiga.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Toon want TWO Chelsea academy chiefs

    Newcastle are eyeing a double swoop on Chelsea — for academy chiefs Neil Bath and Jim Fraser, writes DAN KING.

    The new Toon regime have already taken Dan Ashworth from Brighton to be the club’s director of football.

    And St James’ Park bosses want to persuade Bath and Fraser to help them revamp their youth system.

    Bath, as Chelsea’s head of youth development, has led an Academy that does more than produce players for the Blues’ first team like Reece James, Mason Mount and Andreas Christensen.

    It has also helped Chelsea generate significant sums of money from selling on those who do not make the grade.

    Key to that success has been Fraser, Bath’s assistant and the head of youth recruitment.

  • Ian Tuckey

    JT's hotel is more than up to scratch

    Chelsea legend John Terry watched The Masters at a luxury £15,000-a-night Barbados hotel alongside Peter Jones.

    The pair stayed at One Sandy Lane, one the most luxurious accommodations on the entire island.

    Terry, Jones and pal Stephen Miron gathered around the big screen to watch the golf with a glass of wine.

    The hotel has beautifully manicured gardens and a large swimming pool.

    Guests can also work up a sweat in their state-of-the-art gym.

    The beach is also just a stone’s throw away.

    Terry tagged his two friends on Instagram with the caption: “It doesn’t come much better than this.”

    The England and Chelsea legend is a keen golfer. Terry has cut his golf handicap to SCRATCH.

    Terry has a handicap of zero, meaning he should be able to complete a round of 18 holes at level par.

    On his golfing achievement, he said on Thursday: “When I retired I set myself a target to get down to scratch and today I achieved it.”

  • Ian Tuckey

    ‘Arsenal leapfrog Juve in Morata race'

    Arsenal are rated frontrunners to sing Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata – despite interest from his loan club Juventus.

    Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Morata, 29, could cost around £25million.

    The Gunners are tipped to come back in for the 52-cap Spain ace in the summer following a reported attempt to borrow him in January.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Juve linked to Emerson

    Chelsea's Lyon loanee Emerson Palmieri is being linked with Juventus.

    The Italy left-back, 27, would be unlikely to regain his place under Thomas Tuchel if he returned to Stamford bridge.

    And Calciomercato say Juve have asked to be kept in touch over his future.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Nunez ‘WILL leave Benfica this summer’

    Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea could lead a £67million chase for Darwin Nunez after it’s claimed the striker will DEFINITELY leave Benfica this summer.

    Those three Prem clubs reportedly lead the interest in the Uruguay superstar.

    And transfer guru Fabrizio Romana says Nunez will meet with his new agent to discuss a move.

    The 22-year-old is under contract until 2025 and Benfica want close to the £113m they got from Atletico Madrid for Joao Felix in 2019.

    But a fee of around £58m-£70m seems more likely.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Ancelotti: Chelsea will fight all the way

    Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says Chelsea will scrap for their Champions League lives tomorrow night.

    Karim Benzema's treble clinched Real's 3-1 quarter-final first-leg win at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday.

    But Ancelotti said: “Chelsea is here to fight and to go through.

    "They know well that it’s difficult, but they’re going to try. That’s the spirit of football, of the big clubs, that they never give up,” 

  • Ian Tuckey

    Blues' buy-out could be speeded up

    The Government is prepared to usher through Chelsea’s sale to any of the four shortlisted bidders, say reports.

    The remaining contenders to buy Chelsea must submit final offers for the Stamford Bridge club on April 14.

    According to the PA news agency, New York merchant bank the Raine Group will then hope to present a preferred bidder to Downing Street in the week of April 18.

    The Government must approve the eventual buyer, with the issuing of a new Treasury licence for the sale the final hurdle for Chelsea’s would-be new owners.

    And sources close to the Government have revealed Downing Street’s satisfaction in principle with all remaining parties in the battle to buy the club from Russian Roman Abramovich.

    Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, in partnership with US magnate Mark Walter and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein, have both pushed hard in their bids.

    Boehly’s consortium took a tour of Chelsea’s training ground as they looked to complete an historic takeover.

    The Ricketts family’s bid has drawn criticism among Chelsea supporters in West London.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Mad for it

    The Blues are already down to training in Madrid ahead of tomorrow's huge task.

    Thomas Tuchel's men face Real 3-1 down from the Champions League quarter-finals first leg.

    And their focus was clear today as they practiced after arriving in Madrid – with Romelu Lukaku missing out still through injury.

  • Ian Tuckey

    JT watched Masters at £15k-a-night Barbados hotel

    Chelsea legend John Terry watched The Masters at a luxury £15,000-a-night Barbados hotel alongside Peter Jones.

    The pair stayed at One Sandy Lane, one the most luxurious accommodations on the entire island.

    Terry, Jones and pal Stephen Miron gathered around the big screen to watch the golf with a glass of wine.

    The hotel has beautifully manicured gardens and a large swimming pool.

    Guests can also work up a sweat in their state-of-the-art gym.

    The beach is also just a stone's throw away.

    Terry tagged his two friends on Instagram with the caption: "It doesn’t come much better than this."

    The England and Chelsea legend is a keen golfer. Terry has cut his golf handicap to SCRATCH.

    Terry has a handicap of zero, meaning he should be able to complete a round of 18 holes at level par.

    On his golfing achievement, he said on Thursday: "When I retired I set myself a target to get down to scratch and today I achieved it."

  • Ian Tuckey

    Tuch down !

    Chelsea have arrived in Spain for tomorrow's Champions League crunch with Real Madrid.

    With third place in the Prem seemingly guaranteed. the Blues' main drive for the rest of the season comes in the cups.

    And before facing Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semis on April 17, Chelseas will try to retrieve a 3-1 first-leg deficit in the Champions League quarter-finals tomorrow night.

    Boss Thomas Tuchel led the Blues in Madrid – clutching a scarf round his neck unlike his more lightly-dressed players

  • Ian Tuckey

    Bakayoko tipped for early Chelsea return

    AC Milan loanee Tiemoue Bakayoko could return to Chelsea earlier than expected.

    The one-cap France midfielder, 27, was due to stay with the Italian giants until 2023 but is struggling for form.

    And Pianet Milan journalist Daniele Triolo. believes Bakayoko might head back to Stamford Bridge this summer as Tommaso Pobega should soon return to Milan from his loan with Torino.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Possible Blues XI for crunch return

    Chelsea could welcome back captain Cesar Azpilicueta against Real Madrid after the defender tested negative for Covid-19.

    Thomas Tuchel confirmed the news in his press conference on Monday ahead of the trip to the Bernabeu.

    But the German coach may not make too many changes to his team after Chelsea beat Southampton 6-0 on Saturday.

    Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl was blown away by the performance of Tuchel's side and that may mean only one or two changes on Tuesday.

    Romelu Lukaku will be missing once again due to an Achilles problem so Timo Werner will likely continue in attack.

    He could start alongside Kai Havertz in a central role after scoring twice from that position on Saturday, with Mason Mount operating just behind the front two.

    Alternatively, Tuchel may decide to play 3-4-3 and start Mount on the right with either Werner or Christian Pulisic on the left flank.

    Tuchel's other dilemma is whether to play Jorginho or Matteo Kovacic alongside N'Golo Kante in midfield.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Levi linked with Chelsea exit

    Levi Colwill could be the latest Chelsea youngster to exit after failing to break into the first team.

    Credit: Rex

    The 19-year-old centre-back has enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Huddersfield in the Championship, and has caught the attention of a number of clubs, both in the Premier League and across Europe.

    Colwill, who still has a year to run on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, broke into the England U21 setup on the basis of his performance for the Terriers, and will be keen to continue his development with first team football next term.

  • Ian Tuckey

    Government ready to 'rush through Chelsea sale'

    The Government is prepared to usher through Chelsea's sale to any of the four shortlisted bidders, say reports.

    The remaining contenders to buy Chelsea must submit final offers for the Stamford Bridge club on April 14.

    According to the PA news agency, New York merchant bank the Raine Group will then hope to present a preferred bidder to Downing Street in the week of April 18.

    The Government must approve the eventual buyer, with the issuing of a new Treasury licence for the sale the final hurdle for Chelsea's would-be new owners.

    And sources close to the Government have revealed Downing Street's satisfaction in principle with all remaining parties in the battle to buy the club from Russian Roman Abramovich.

    Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, in partnership with US magnate Mark Walter and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein, have both pushed hard in their bids.

    Boehly's consortium took a tour of Chelsea's training ground as they looked to complete an historic takeover.

    The Ricketts family's bid has drawn criticism among Chelsea supporters in West London.

    Source: Read Full Article