Raine Group would reportedly prefer to sell Chelsea to The Ricketts Family, a bid which has been strongly opposed by some supporters of the Premier League giants.
The US merchant bank has been brought in to facilitate the sale of Chelsea after Roman Abramovich expressed a desire to end his 19-year stay.
At the end of last week, it emerged that four final bidders had been identified, with each of the relevant parties now being provided with extra time to amend their proposals and undergo further due diligence.
If reports are to be believed, LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly is the favourite to acquire the West Londoners, but according to The Athletic, Raine Group have been left impressed with the credentials of The Ricketts Family.
Citing sources from some of the other consortiums involved, the report claims that Raine view the owners of the Chicago Cubs as 'proven, ready and well-connected'.
However, a takeover bid has been left complicated after derogatory comments relating to Islam from father Joe Ricketts came to light soon after registering their interest.
Darren Plant
