Thunderclap at Chelsea!

The end of the Boehly era? Here’s what’s happening at Stamford Bridge. Successor to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in May 2022, after buying Chelsea alongside his consortium of investors for around €4.5 billion, American businessman Todd Boehly could already be leaving the Blues. As revealed in an article published this Friday in the financial media Bloombergthe two main majority owners of Chelsea, Clearlake Capital (i.e. Behdad Eghbali & Co) and Todd Boehly, would, in fact, be in the process of “to explore changes”assessing whether they can potentially redeem each other.

As a reminder, Clearlake currently owns over 60% of the club, and Boehly’s actual stake comprises only a third of the remainder (roughly 13%). Mark Walter, a Boehly ally from the Los Angeles Dodgers, owns another third, while the remaining third is owned by billionaire investor Hansjörg Wyss. This split could therefore change rapidly. While Clearlake sources were quick to indicate that they had no intention of selling, co-founder Behdad Eghbali is reportedly evaluating the possibility of increasing his stake in the club by potentially buying out other shares, including Boehly’s.

Recruitment at the heart of the divergences…

How then can we explain such a turnaround? According to the latest information from the English press, this possible outcome could be explained, in large part, by the conflictual relationship between Eghbali and Boehly. Bloomberg thus notes major divergences regarding the general direction of the club, specifying in particular “Different opinions on Chelsea’s recruitment policy, the team’s underperformance and the failure to make progress on building a new stadium”. A break-up that puts the future of Chelsea at stake, still disappointing on the sporting level despite the significant investments made in recent months. It should be noted, in this regard, that the Blues have spent around 1.5 billion euros since Abramovich’s departure…

While more than 40 players have thus set down their suitcases at Stamford Bridge, the failures themselves are multiplying and the Blues are still unable to shine on the pitch. Symbol of this helplessness? Of the nine players signed during Clearlake’s first transfer window at the helm, only three are still part of the first team. A chronic instability also visible in the management. In recent months, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca have thus succeeded one another. In vain. Twelfth in the Premier League during the 2022-2023 season and sixth last year, Chelsea started this new season with a defeat, a victory and a draw. A mixed start, in line with the reality observed in recent months.

“We need stability. We have very high level players and I hope we can have the patience, the calm, so that everything goes well. We have the level, we just need stability and for the coaches and players to be allowed to work to do something important.“, Marc Cucurella confided in this regard. A stability that could therefore come through the departure of Todd Boehly. One thing is certain, over the last six months, the American businessman has already taken a step back from the daily management of the club. Eghbali is now widely considered the most influential figure at Stamford Bridge…