The part-owners of Chelsea and Manchester United football clubs are among four finalists vying to buy a substantial stake in Top 100 franchise London Spirit.

sky news It is understood that companies controlled by Chelsea shareholder Todd Boehly and members of Manchester United’s Glazer family have been shortlisted to acquire a 49% stake in the home team from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The other two shortlisted bidders are a consortium of technology company owners and financiers, including the bosses of Google and Microsoft; and RPSG Group, owner of Indian Premier League side Lucknow Super Giants.

Four bidders will be asked to submit sealed bids for ECB shares next week, with the ECB expected to select the highest bidder, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Insiders added that the London Spirit franchise is expected to be valued at around £140m, meaning the proceeds to be received and distributed by the ECB would be around £70m.

The status of the shortlisted parties means that the Ambani family, owners of the Indian IPL Mumbai Indians, will not be involved in the competition to buy the home team.

According to insiders, the Mumbai Indians owner is looking to bid for Invincibles and Manchester Originals at The Oval.

Some of the eight hundred franchises are said to have fewer than four bidders on their shortlist, although the process has been complicated by the fact that some parties are involved in multiple processes.

For example, the owner of Lucknow Supergiants is said to have been pursuing four of the eight teams.

The ECB said its 49% stake in eight teams would receive a total of around £350m.

The host county could also sell its 51% stake, although some have said they do not plan to do so.

According to cricket insiders, the MCC, which controls the London Spirit franchise, does not currently plan to sell any of its shares.

sky news It was revealed earlier this month that a consortium of technology company executives were also bidding for Oval Invincibles and are expected to be shortlisted in the process.

CVC Capital Partners, the buyout firm that has made significant sports investments, has also made a takeover bid for the team at The Oval.

Investors can only own a stake in one of eight teams, which also includes the Welsh Flames, Southern Braves and Northern Superchargers.

A larger-than-expected windfall from the process could provide a financial lifeline to some cash-strapped counties, with some of the proceeds likely to be used to pay down debt.

However, there are concerns that the windfall from the 100-person auction will not lead to meaningful improvements in the long-term financial sustainability of counties.

The outcome of the hundred-over auction is also likely to fuel other search questions about cricket’s future, as the Test format of the game competes with shorter formats for international commercial relevance.

The 100-man auction is being handled by bankers from Rennes Group, which has overseen the sale of large stakes in Manchester United and Chelsea in recent years.

A spokesman for MCC declined to comment and no bidders could be contacted. sky news Will leave a comment.

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