Chelsea co-owners Clearlake ‘not interested’ in selling stake to Todd Boehly amid sensational reports in the US
CHELSEA co-owners Clearlake Capital are reportedly not interested in selling their majority stake to fellow shareholder Todd Boehly following sensational reports in the US.
The Telegraph claims the company, co-founded by Behdad Eghbali, have no intention of giving up their role at Chelsea.
It follows a report from US financial outlet Bloomberg claiming that Clearlake and Boehly are each exploring whether they can buy the other one out.
Clearlake own 61.5 per cent of Chelsea after a joint takeover with Boehly in 2022.
Roman Abramovich sold the club to the consortium for £4.25billion, with Boehly’s minority 38.5 per cent stake also being propped up by US businessman Mark Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss.
Clearlake and Boehly have since invested £1.2bn in transfers while going through three permanent managers and two interim bosses before settling on Enzo Maresca.
Their heavy spending is yet to yield results on the field though, with Chelsea finishing 12th in their first full season and sixth last term under Mauricio Pochettino.
And Bloomberg claims the lack of success has let to a “deterioration” in the relationship between Eghbali and Boehly.
It’s alleged that both parties are now exploring whether they can buy the other one out to gain 100 per cent control of Chelsea.
The two men are said to still remain fully invested in running the club.
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But “differing opinions” on several factors including the new data-led recruitment policy of signing young players, as well as the lack of progress on building a new stadium, has reportedly strained the relationship between them.
However, the Telegraph reports that Clearlake have “no intention” of giving up their majority stake.
And they are only open to possibilities to increase their hold at Stamford Bridge.
It’s added that no talks have taken place between Clearlake and Boehly about a sale either.
SunSport have contacted Chelsea and are awaiting comment.
Chelsea are a circus - it will be TERRIBLE for football if they win anything, says Troy Deeney
CHELSEA are a circus — aren’t they?, writes Troy Deeney.
But the bigger concern should be if somehow, some way, Todd Boehly’s insane master-plan brings about success this season.
Finish in the top four. Win a trophy like the FA Cup.
He will then turn around and say: “See, it works” and all of a sudden, other clubs will begin considering copying this mad model to try and compete in the Premier League.
Before you know it, there will be a bigger divide between the top clubs and the rest and this country’s top flight will become something we have been fighting against — a Super League.
The smaller sides and promoted teams will be wiped out by the elite and will end up saying, ‘What’s the point?’
Football as we know it will change, and there will be no going back.
As a neutral, you don’t want to wish failure on a club or a regime, but it’s depressing to think about.
We should almost be looking at it in amazement — the owners have come in with this model and they’ve treated it as if they are buying stocks and shares, not players or human beings.
Boehly has wiped away any sense of sentiment or old-school values from that club and the worrying thing is that he doesn’t seem to care.
Does he even like football?
Read Troy Deeney’s hard-hitting opinion on Boehly’s Chelsea shambles in full.
Or check out all of Troy’s columns on SunSport.