Chelsea to Earl's Court 'most realistic' as 'private political' support emerges

03/28/2025 08:39 AM

Chelsea are under pressure to make a decision on a potential move to Earl’s Court which is considered the “most realistic” option for the club.

Following the takeover of the club by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital back in 2022, an expansion of Stamford Bridge has been on the agenda, just as it had been for much of the previous decade under Roman Abramovich.

The stadium currently has a capacity of 40,343, but with difficulties emerging over increasing the size of the ground, the prospect of moving to a new home is a real possibility.

It is understood that has developed into a “big issue” between Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who explored buying each other out last year, and pressure now appears to be building on the club over a potential move.

Chelsea facing competition for Earl’s Court site

According to an update from The Guardian, the Blues are not the only ones looking at building on the site at Earl’s Court where a new stadium could be based.

There is also a proposal from the Earl’s Court Development Company (ECDC) to build on the land, in a project that would not include a football stadium.

Should the ECDC gain planning permission that would increase the cost Chelsea would have to pay for the land would rise, with it already being cautiously priced at £500million.

The club may therefore need to put a bid in soon if they are to avoid further complications, with the situation already complex given the various stakeholders involved and political attractiveness of the ECDC’s plans given they include housing.

However, sources have reportedly suggested that Chelsea do at this stage have “private political goodwill” over a potential deal to buy land at Earl’s Court.

That is apparently due to a belief the ECDC’s plans for the land could prove too expensive, while a new ground could boost the local economy, while leaving the door open for housing on the site as well.

It may be important that Chelsea make that move as well to submit a bid to build on Earl’s Court, as that is said to be the “most realistic solution” for the club as they look to expand their capacity.

There is understood to be no other area in West London where a stadium could be based, while there are issues with redeveloping Stamford Bridge, especially since it is located next to a railway line, although this is said to have not been entirely ruled out.

Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali must act to secure stadium deal

Football Insider Verdict

If Chelsea do indeed want to move into a new stadium it feels important Boehly and Eghbali take action and submit a bid for Earl’s Court.

As we have seen with Man United there will be questions about if they can invest in the squad while funding the building of a new stadium.

With that in mind it makes sense for Chelsea to move fast, to ensure they can get this deal agreed before another is done with a different company that pushes the price up and makes things financially harder.

Other clubs such as Newcastle are also planning to build a new stadium, with expansion something that could bring significant funds into those clubs in the long-term.

If Chelsea want to keep up and be able to compete with those rivals when it comes to being able to develop their squad, it could therefore be important for them to do the same.

As a result pressure is no doubt building inside and outside the club to make a decision and submit a bid to build at Earl’s Court, if they want to have a chance of making what they may feel is necessary progress.

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