Todd Boehly has addressed speculation about whether he plans to sell his shares in Chelsea amid reports of a disagreement with Behdad Eghbali and Clearlake Capital.
Boehly, a billionaire from the United States, became a co-owner of Chelsea in 2022 alongside Eghbali and Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm. While Clearlake owns the majority stake of 61.5%, Boehly holds a smaller 13% share.
Since taking over, the new ownership group has invested over £1 billion ($1.3bn) in signing players. However, the team’s performances on the pitch have fallen short of expectations, leading to criticism. There have also been reports of tension between Boehly and Clearlake, particularly regarding plans for a new stadium, with some speculating that this could prompt Boehly to leave the club.
The US-based businessman, however, refuted the rumours of his exit as he told Bloomberg UK: “What the media writes about is not realistic. We’ve been aligned with what we are trying to do and trying to build. The status quo is something that is just fine. We learn from each other. We have to think about long-term what we are trying to accomplish.”
He added: “We’re going to be able to work it out any which way. If you look at the evolution of the team, we’ve been aligned on what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to build. It’s a team that’s young, it’s a team that’s got long contracts. All these things were new. In order to do all these things we’ve done, it’s because we’re aligned. We’re executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where it belongs. We’re sitting in the top four of the table.”
On building a new home for the west London side, Boehly admitted the decision could lead to a parting of ways: “We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out. That’s going to be where we’re either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways.”
