‘Chelsea owners to agree takeover deal’ – boardroom source
Chelsea could be set for a change in ownership if Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali fail to agree on the club’s stadium plans.
The relationship between the Stamford Bridge chiefs was understood to have deteriorated earlier this season, with the pair reportedly looking to buy each other out.
The takeover talk has gone quiet in recent months as Chelsea go in pursuit of a return to Champions League football for next season.
BlueCo, which is spearheaded by Boehly and Eghbali, purchased the club from Roman Abramovich for £4.25billion in May 2022.
In an interview with Bloomberg on 24 March, Boehly admitted the Chelsea owners could go their separate ways if they can’t agree on the future of Stamford Bridge.
The London giants are considering plans to either leave their existing stadium or expand, with Earl’s Court viewed as a possible location for a new facility.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – revealed a Chelsea takeover is now on the cards again as the owners appear to be split on the stadium plans.
Finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider Chelsea’s owners will struggle to agree a takeover if they want to recoup the money they have spent.
Chelsea owners unhappy after stadium standoff
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted it hasn’t been a “happy ship” behind the scenes at Chelsea for some time.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “West London is a very difficult place to find big enough space for a new stadium.
“Earl’s Court has always been the favourite and that’s the one that I believe Todd Boehly was prepared to try and move there.
“Now, if there is genuinely a realism between the two of them about what they want to do, if one of them wants to stay and redevelop Stamford Bridge and one wants to move, that really is a big decision that they are going to fall out over because a club cannot have a split leadership in terms of something as big as that decision.
“I think if it’s going to come to it, certainly one of them has got to buy the other one out and I think that’s what’s looking like it’s going to be on the cards.
“Now, you could be Machiavellian here and start to think maybe Eghbali’s saying he’s against the new stadium just so that Boehly can buy him out.
“There are lots of different conspiracy theories here about what could be going on, but it doesn’t seem like a happy ship. It hasn’t been really for a long time now.”
| Club (Stadium) | Capacity |
| Man United (Old Trafford) | 74,197 |
| Tottenham (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) | 62,850 |
| West Ham (London Stadium) | 62,500 |
| Liverpool (Anfield) | 61,276 |
| Arsenal (Emirates Stadium) | 60,704 |
| Man City (Etihad Stadium) | 52,900 |
| Newcastle (St James’ Park) | 52,258 |
| Aston Villa (Villa Park) | 42,918 |
| Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) | 40,173 |
| Everton (Goodison Park) | 39,572 |
Chelsea certain to agree permanent Jadon Sancho deal
Football Insider revealed on 19 March Man United are unlikely to be open to Jadon Sancho returning at the end of this season.
Chelsea have an obligation to buy the 24-year-old for £25million when his loan spell comes to an end, but they can pay a fee to cancel the deal if they wish.
However, sources say Chelsea are certain to sign Sancho if they qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Enzo Maresca’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, one point above fifth-place Manchester City after 29 matches.
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