The consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers part-owner Todd Boehly has made the shortlist to buy Chelsea, sources have told ESPN.
The New York-based merchant bank Raine Group, appointed to handle the sale of the club by outgoing owner Roman Abramovich, are in the process of identifying preferred bidders after receiving between 20 and 30 offers.
Sources have told ESPN that Boehly's group, which also includes Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and British property investor Jonathan Goldstein, have been informed they have advanced to the next stage.
The other confirmed to have progressed on Friday morning is the consortium headed by British businessman Sir Martin Broughton, former chairman of British Airways, containing World Athletics president Sebastian Coe and rumoured to involve Crystal Palace shareholders Josh Harris and David Blitzer.
Sources told ESPN last week that Raine were likely to identify two or three bids to be put forward for consideration by the Chelsea hierarchy, excluding Abramovich, who has been sanctioned by the U.K. government over alleged ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin.
The Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, also made the final shortlist. In a statement Friday, the Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) said the Ricketts family still had to demonstrate how they would address supporter concerns with regard to inclusivity.
"They must do so publicly and they must do so urgently," CST said following a meeting with the family amid fan backlash over comments made by the family's patriarch Joe Ricketts in a leaked email exchange several years ago that "Muslims are naturally our enemy."
"If they are unable to ... gain the confidence of Chelsea supporters, the CST board does not believe it would be in the best interests of our members and Chelsea supporters for their bid to succeed," the statement continued.
Tom Ricketts, the son of Joe, said in a statement that they had listened to the feedback, including from CST, and were grateful that the door was still open to them to demonstrate their commitment to working with fans.
"My family and I are very grateful to all the fans and supporters' groups who took time to meet with us this week and share their passion and concerns for Chelsea Football Club. It's clear you have nothing but the best interests of the club at heart," the statement read.
"We have listened to all of your feedback -- including from the Chelsea Supporters' Trust -- and are grateful that the door is still open for us to demonstrate our commitment to working with fans to protect the club's heritage.
"It is now up to us to redouble our efforts and clearly lay out a vision for our stewardship of the club with diversity and inclusion at its heart."
The Saudi Media Group are among those to have been informed they would not be successful.
A spokesperson for Centricus and Aethel Partners, two London-based firms to have submitted bids, did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by ESPN.
Another British-based offer led by Nick Candy, backed by South Korean investors, was also hopeful of making the shortlist, particularly if Raine decide to put through more than the three bids they originally planned.
Once a single offer is chosen, it will be put forward to the U.K. government for final approval.