Chelsea shareholders at loggerheads as Todd Boehly and Clearlake weigh-up ownership options

09/06/2024 04:02 PM

Chelsea’s owners are at loggerheads over the way the club is run, talkSPORT understands.

Majority shareholder Clearlake Capital are actively considering ways to buy out chairman Todd Boehly, although no timescale for any takeover has been set.

Relations between Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali and US-based businessman Boehly have become increasingly strained over the Blues’ transfer policy, results and lack of progress on building a new stadium.

talkSPORT understands Clearlake have no interest in selling and would only want to increase their shares. 

Iranian-born Eghbali is a regular visitor to Chelsea‘s Cobham training ground and at Stamford Bridge. 

Boehly, who was the public face of the takeover when Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen two years ago, is believed to be open to offers.

Boehly and the Clearlake-led consortium completed a £4.25billion takeover from Roman Abramovich just two years ago.

Clearlake, the private equity fund managed by Eghbali and Feliciano, owns 61.5 per cent.

The remaining 38.5 per cent is split equally between Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter.

The turmoil both on and off the pitch continues with Chris Jurasek departing his role as chief executive officer at Chelsea just 15 months into his role at Stamford Bridge.

Jurasek was appointed in 2023 having moved over from Clearlake Capital.

The club later confirmed Jason Gannon, who joined as Chelsea’s chief operating officer in October last year, will replace Jurasek.

Since the takeover in May 2022, the club have spent £1.2billion on signing 40 different players.

They have smashed the British transfer record TWICE and many of their new additions have penned seven, or more, year contracts.

The clubs transfer policy has come under scrutiny of fans with many homegrown players being forced out.

Conor Gallagher was sold to Atletico Madrid after being offered just a two-year deal.

The likes of Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, and Armando Broja were also demoted to their ‘bomb squad’.

They were exiled from all first-team activities at the Blues.

Despite the exorbitant money spent on the pitch, the results have not quite reflected that.

Enzo Maresca is their fourth different permanent manager after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Mauricio Pochettino. Not counting Frank Lampard's brief interim spell.

The club finished 12th in the 2022/23 campaign and last season they were sixth.

This season has seen a tough start for Maresca, with four points take from their opening three games.