Paul Canoville is 'reassured' by Tom Ricketts after one-hour meeting with Chelsea bidder

Chelsea's first black player, Paul Canoville, has become an influential figure in the club's takeover, with the former winger having met with controversial bidder Tom Ricketts last week.

Canoville, who played 103 times for Chelsea between 1981 and 1986, had voiced his opposition to the bid from the Ricketts family, whose patriarch Joe had to apologise in 2019 after calling Muslims 'my enemy' in leaked emails.

Canoville, 60, tweeted last Wednesday: 'I've seen and heard enough. I'm backing @ChelseaSTrust and saying a big fat anti-racism NO to the Ricketts bid!!'

However, his concerns appear to have been allayed in a one-hour meeting with Tom Ricketts - chairman of baseball's Chicago Cubs - at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

'As the club's official ambassador on racism, I was grateful to be asked for my views on the sale,' said Canoville.

'I was pleased to meet with Mr Ricketts and expressed my concerns over some of his family's members' public statements. I was reassured by his response.

'I am hoping to meet the other potential buyers in the coming days to have the same honest and frank conversations about their values and their commitment to diversity and community work.

'It's critical that the club is sold to the right person.'

Meanwhile, the consortiums still in the race to buy Chelsea have been warned to stop making open statements amid concerns the final stages of the process could become a distasteful public battle.

In the next two weeks the Raine Group - the bank advising Roman Abramovich on the sale  Chelsea and the Government will select the preferred bidder.

Shortlisted parties can increase their offers, with a deadline of April 11 for second bids.