Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum appears ready to add another club to his portfolio.

Sky Sports reports the 77-year-old Toronto native has joined a bid led by Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca to buy Chelsea ahead of Thursday's deadline.

The Blues were put up for sale last month as current owner, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, faces a rash of international sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Among others party to the Pagliuca bid are hedge fund operator John Burbank and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, who was played by Andrew Garfield in David Fincher's 2010 film The Social Network.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pagliuca, a 67-year-old Brooklyn native, released a statement about the substance of the bid.

"This process has been a disconcerting time for the football club and fans," Pagliuca said. "Throughout my life and career, my ethos has always been to operate quietly, with integrity, and let my actions and results speak loudly. However, it is imperative to clarify and assure supporters about our bid group and its commitments, to emphasize how seriously we take our potential responsibility to Chelsea."

Pagliuca also holds interest in Serie A side Atalanta and would likely have to divest himself of it should his bid for the Blues be accepted.

Among other groups submitting bids for the club are Chicago Cubs owners, the Ricketts family backed by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, and a group headed by former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton.

The winning bid is expected to be selected sometime in May.