Laura Ricketts has spoken about her family's meetings ahead of their final bid to buy Chelsea and moved again to reassure supporters about their record on diversity. 

It comes after the Ricketts Family Investment Group, which features backing from Citadel Founder Ken Griffin and one of America's richest men Dan Gilbert, has proven unpopular with the club's support. 

In fact, only three percent of Chelsea Supporters Trust (CST) members said they would back the bid led by the owners of the historic Major League Baseball (MLB) team Chicago Cubs. Three other rival billionaire bidders are seeking to secure Chelsea after making their final bids on April 11.  

"We have had a memorable few days in London, taking the opportunity to meet as many people as possible from a wide variety of backgrounds," Laura Ricketts, who is the face of the bid alongside her brother Tom, said in her first statement.

"Obviously, I can’t comment on talks we had with Chelsea officials because that has to remain confidential. But I can say we had very informative and enjoyable meetings with some passionate fan groups – in particular with Tracy Brown from Chelsea Pride and Kerrie Evans from Chelsea Women Supporters Group.

"We also met Sanjay Bhandari, the Chair of Kick It Out, and it was wonderful to hear about all the work he’s doing. We admire their approach and would like to introduce them to Major League Baseball.

"I was also thrilled to go to the Chelsea Women’s game at the weekend and I flew in early to make the match. It was a joy to see the incredible athletic talent of the Chelsea Women and to also experience the supporters’ amazing energy at Kingsmeadow.

"Much of my life’s work has been about empowering and supporting women, so to see these young women playing at this level was a real treat for me. It was also so great to see all the families who were at the game.

"Sport has such power to bring communities together and family is at the heart of the community. Some of the girls there reminded me of my 11-year-old daughter. For young girls to see the Chelsea Women on the pitch can be inspiring and empowering to them.

"In recent weeks, we’ve also had several valuable conversations with the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust. I appreciate their passion for Chelsea and the important questions they’ve raised. I look forward to continuing the good conversations we’ve begun.

"We all need to be listening and speaking up, and I feel a particular responsibility because of the position I’m in. We’re not going to be able to persuade all the fans right away that we will be good stewards of Chelsea – we’re going to have to show them with meaningful action if we are successful in our bid.