The Ricketts family and partners have withdrawn their bid to buy Chelsea, leaving three consortia battling for the Blues.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the remaining contenders to take the Stamford Bridge helm.
Sir Martin Broughton
The former Liverpool and British Airways chairman has compiled his own consortium bid, drawing in Lord Sebastian Coe.
US businessmen Josh Harris and David Blitzer are expected to be included in the funding, which would require the duo to divest their shareholding in Crystal Palace.
The 74-year-old Broughton joined British American Tobacco in 1971, rising to prominence as chairman and chief executive in 1998. The lifelong Chelsea supporter held a short chairmanship of Liverpool in 2010, ushering through the Reds’ sale to current owners the Fenway Sports Group.
World Athletics president and London 2012 Olympics chief Coe’s Government and establishment links strengthen the Broughton bid.
Todd Boehly
The Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner and US business magnate has highly-respected and successful British businessman Jonathan Goldstein, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter as partners.
The decorated Dodgers’ impressively run set-up has earned widespread plaudits in the elongated campaigning around the Chelsea bidding.
Clearlake Capital investment firm is understood to provide potent financial backing to the Boehly bid. Boehly is the co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Eldridge Industries.
Steve Pagliuca
The Boston Celtics co-owner boasts NBA chairman Larry Tanenbaum as co-managing partner in his consortium bid for the Blues.
Pagliuca is the co-chairman of Bain Capital, and has a shareholding in Italian Serie A club Atalanta. That shareholding would require a reduction should his bid for the Blues prove successful.
Former Disney chief executive Bob Iger, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and businesswoman Elaine Saverin are also involved in the bid.
Peter Guber, who has stakes in the Golden State Warriors, LA Dodgers and Los Angeles FC, has also joined the consortium. Further partners include B Capital founder Raj Ganguly, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, investor John Burbank and tech entrepreneur Div Turakhia.
