The four shortlisted bidders to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich will be expected to provide detailed, costed plans for how they intend to expand Stamford Bridge, with two of the bidding groups up against the clock to scale down their holdings in other top-flight clubs.
The 'Team Boehly' bid, led by the US billionaire and part owner of baseball and NBA teams Todd Boehly, and the bid from the American Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs, do not come encumbered with any ownership conflicts of interest.
But the bid led by Sir Martin Broughton, former chairman of British Airways, involves US tycoons David Blitzer and Josh Harris, who each own 18 per cent of Crystal Palace.