Sporting greats Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams have reportedly each committed £10 million ($AU17.5 million) to become the new owners of Premier League side Chelsea.
The seven-time F1 world champion and all-time tennis legend are part of a takeover bid led by former Liverpool and British Airways chairman Sir Martin Broughton, one of three consortiums left in the race, reports Sky UK.
Hamilton’s role in the bid is slightly more surprising given he is an Arsenal fan.
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The other two groups bidding for the club are led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca.
Chelsea is up for grabs after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Vladimir Putin. He will write off the club’s current £1.5 billion ($AU2.63 billion) debt but cannot profit from its sale.
Hamilton and Williams’ consortium, if successful would see Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment holding a controlling stake in the club. They currently hold a minority share of Crystal Palace.
“One insider suggested that Sir Lewis was likely to play a formal role in Chelsea‘s future efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion if the bid is successful,” the Sky report said.
The club is expected to sell for as much as £2.5 billion ($AU4.38 billion).
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