Chelsea in talks to LEAVE Stamford Bridge amid Boehly-Eghbali civil war

Cameron Smith

Updated: 10 Sept 2024 22:35 BST
3 min read

Chelsea have held talks over leaving Stamford Bridge and relocating to Earls Court amid the club’s desire for a larger stadium.

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The Blues’ current stadium has a 42,000 capacity crowd, but redeveloping Stamford Bridge is extremely difficult, due to a lack of available land, and this has led the club to pursue a new site in west London.

According to The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg, Chelsea have held discussions with Transport for London (TfL) - who are one of the partners that look after the Earls Court site.

However, Chelsea face competition from The Earl’s Court Development Committee (ECDC), who want to build a “mixed-use development” on the site, as per The Guardian.

Despite this, some key figures believe the project may be deemed too expensive, which could open the door for Chelsea.

The Blues have already drawn-up plans for the Earls Court site and Jason Gannon, Chelsea’s chief executive, has reportedly held productive talks with both TfL and real estate developers Delancey.

According to The Guardian, Chelsea may need to submit a £500 million offer to move to Earls Court, while the club haven’t ruled out remaining at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s ongoing civil war

Talks regarding a stadium relocation come amid a brewing civil war between Chelsea co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly. One major reason for the current tension that exists between the pair is the lack of progress regarding Chelsea’s stadium.

© IMAGO - Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, Chelsea

Increasing the club’s 42,000 capacity stadium is a priority for the owners, yet little progress has been made over the past two years.

Chelsea currently have the ninth-largest stadium in the Premier League, behind Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Stamford Bridge also has a smaller capacity than Championship side Sunderland’s Stadium of Light home.