Chelsea close to ‘civil war’ – Todd Boehly targets £2.5bn buyout of Clearlake Capital

Chelsea are on the brink of ‘civil war’ in the boardroom with Todd Boehly ready to try and buyout fellow co-owners Clearlake Capital.

Boehly joined forces with Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, the owners of Clearlake, to acquire control of Chelsea in 2022 when Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club.

However, various reports in recent months have suggested the relationship among the co-owners has deteriorated. On Friday, Bloomberg claimed both Boehly and Clearlake were considering buying the other side out.

This was followed by the Telegraph reporting Clearlake had no intention of selling their stake in the club.

A separate report now adds that Boehly believes he can raise over £2.5bn in order to present an offer to Clearlake that would see them earn a profit on their 2022 investment. There are believed to be many differences of opinion on key matters which has seen a breakdown in the two parties’ relationship.

Eghbali is heavily involved in Chelsea’s recruitment / Crystal Pix/MB Media/GettyImages

Boehly believes the situation upstairs at Stamford Bridge is ‘untenable’ and he is targeting a swift resolution in order to stop a ‘civil war’ from breaking out.

The American billionaire, who also owns a stake in Major League Baseball franchise LA Dodgers, is said to have a 30-year plan for Chelsea, which would involve building a new stadium – an issue which has not been resolved in the two years since the takeover.

Neither side appears willing to budge on the ownership situation. As part of an incredible and almost unprecedented agreement, Chelsea’s current owners can change the chairmanship every five years, while they have the right to match or block offers of outside investment if either side wants to sell their stake.