Chelsea announce 'definitive agreement' with Todd Boehly

Chelsea have announced that they have entered a 'final and definitive agreement' with a consortium led by Todd Boehly.

With a deadline of May 31 edging ever nearer, Chelsea, Boehly and the British government have been under pressure to tie up every loose end regarding a takeover.

Earlier this week, it was widely reported that all of the government obstacles had been negotiated, a major development given that the Premier League giants have been under restrictions since early March.

On Saturday morning, Chelsea confirmed that the Roman Abramovich era had almost reached a conclusion after moving to the brink of finalising the deal with Boehly.

An official statement read: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm that a final and definitive agreement was entered into last night to sell the club to the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital consortium.

"It is expected that the transaction will be completed on Monday. The club will update further at that time."

Once a deal is completed, Chelsea will be able to buy and sell new players, a period which may mirror Abramovich's early days at the club with Thomas Tuchel needing to replace several defenders and strengthen other areas of the pitch.