Longstanding Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced his decision to sell the club on Wednesday night, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian-Israeli billionaire said that the proceeds made from the sale of the club will go to a charitable foundation benefiting victims of the war in Ukraine.
Sportsmail's Sami Mokbel has answered the most pressing questions around the sale of Chelsea football club - including how long it could take to exchange, who is in the running to take over and how much it is likely to cost.
Who wants to buy Chelsea?
The Swiss-American consortium of Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly look to be the most advanced in their attempts to strike a deal with Roman Abramovich.
Although public declarations of interest can often come to nothing, there appears to be something in their partnership.
Other parties credited with an interest include English billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has distanced himself from making an offer, and Loutfy Mansour, a London-based billionaire of Egyptian heritage. But for now Wyss and Boehly look to be in the driving seat.
How much will it cost?
Abramovich wants £3billion but, as reported by Sportsmail earlier this week, his chances of getting that amount are small.
On Thursday, well-placed sources indicated that the Russian oligarch is resigned to accepting much less. But how much less? Early intelligence suggests that interested parties are willing to pay just over £2bn.
The fact it is crystal clear that Abramovich wants a quick sale does play into the hands of interested parties but ultimately the Chelsea owner will only part with the club for a sum he is willing to sell it for.
How quickly can it happen?
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said on Thursday that a sale could be concluded in as little as 10 days. But closing a deal of this size in such a short space of time seems optimistic at best.
Interested parties would at least want a period of due diligence and they would have to pass the top flight’s fit and proper owners test along with all the other administrative tasks that come with a multi-billion pound deal.
Of course, it is in Abramovich’s best interests to sell Chelsea as quickly as possible as the prospect of being sanctioned by the UK Government continues to hang over him.
There is hope that Wednesday night’s dramatic confirmation that Abramovich is selling up will buy the Russian some time. But the likely scenario is that the passing over of power, even if a buyer is found quickly, could take a little while longer.
Isn’t Stamford Bridge a problem for the next owners?
Yes. Even if the next owners secure Chelsea in a deal worth £2bn that will not buy them the freehold to Stamford Bridge.
That and the naming rights to the stadium belong to Chelsea Pitch Owners. Stamford Bridge, at 42,000, is relatively small in comparison to some of Chelsea’s domestic rivals: Old Trafford holds 75,635 and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has 62,850 seats, meaning Chelsea are lagging behind in terms of match-day revenue.
Redeveloping Stamford Bridge is problematic due to local government red-tape: the fact the stadium is in the heart of west London means it is difficult to secure planning permission.
That leaves new owners potentially facing up to spending in excess of £1bn on building a new stadium elsewhere. That is a very big —and expensive — commitment to make.