Chelsea takeover: Keith Wyness drops ‘frightening’ verdict – ‘they will drain you’
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has claimed Chelsea owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly are “addicted to deals” amid a takeover battle in the boardroom.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed private equity players will “drain” the Stamford Bridge club as the civil war continues.
It has been widely reported that Todd Boehly, who owns 13%, and Clearlake Capital, who own 61.5%, are both vying to take full ownership of the London club.
Boehly’s relationship with Clearlake has reportedly reached breaking point after poor performance on the pitch since the joint takeover in 2022.
Chelsea have purchased 42 players on permanent deals since the US buyout two years ago.
Chelsea chiefs are ‘addicted to deals’ amid takeover battle, says Wyness
Wyness claimed the boardroom’s attention will shift to the takeover battle rather than matters on the pitch – presenting a “dangerous” situation.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “Chelsea are in a very messy situation.
“The dangerous thing we’ll be seeing in the coming weeks is that these two sides will be spending a lot of time trying to buy each other out.
“Where’s the attention going on the football club, as it should be?
“It’s very frightening.
“With this amount of money being spent, it does seem like Clearlake have got the football bug and they are really hands-on.
“When private equity guys get into that position, it will just drain you – because they want to be involved in everything.
“They’re addicted to deals. That’s why we’ve seen so many players arrive, they’re just loving it.
“They’ve found a toy – I’ve seen this happen before. It’s the only explanation I can give for what we’re seeing now.
“Chelsea are fractured at the top and it’s nothing but bad news for the club.”
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