Chelsea: Culture secretary Nadine Dorries says club are on ‘borrowed time’

Chelsea are on "borrowed time" over the sale of the club, says culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale before he was sanctioned for his alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine.

"There is a very short window left for that sale to take place," Dorries said.

The Blues are operating under a special licence from the UK government which ends on 31 May.

The licence was issued in March when Abramovich was sanctioned.

"Chelsea's being sold, as you know, and the sanctions apply, so those sanctions still apply during the sale," Dorries told the BBC Newscast podcast.

"But what I will say, actually, is that Chelsea is very much on borrowed time at the moment."

When asked how soon the club must be sold, Dorries answered "[within] weeks".

There are currently three bidders in the running to buy Chelsea for about £2bn.

They are consortiums headed by Sir Martin Broughton, Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and co-owner of the Boston Celtics Stephen Pagliuca.

American bank Raine Group has been tasked with selling Chelsea and the UK government is expected to issue a new licence, allowing the club to be sold once a preferred buyer has been identified.

There were reports on Thursday that bidders have been asked to offer an extra £500m for the club.

Any sale can only be signed off by the bidder passing the Premier League's owners' and directors' test.