Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are open to outside investment to help fund their big projects at the club, including the proposed redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.
John Terry is part of a group interested in buying a 10 per cent stake in Chelsea, in a deal which would incorporate fan investment through the online technology platform PrimaryBid.
Whether Blues legend Terry could raise the money needed remains to be seen, but Chelsea have held talks with a number of potential investors as they seek financial help for projects including the stadium, their multi-club plan and upgrades at their training ground.
US-based investment firm Ares Management is known to have spoken to Chelsea about expansion plans, which include adding more clubs under the BlueCo umbrella, the parent company now running Chelsea.
Clearlake owns just over 60 per cent of Chelsea, with the remaining equity divided between Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter. It is unclear who would reduce their equity to make room for new investment.
Terry has looked into investing in Chelsea before and was part a ‘True Blue’ consortium during the bidding process before Boehly and Clearlake bought the club from Roman Abramovich for £4.15billion last year.
BlueCo recently bought close to 100 per cent ownership of French side Strasbourg in a £65m deal and is targeting clubs in Portugal, Brazil and Belgium, as it bids to build a network of clubs like Manchester City’s City Football Group.
New investment might come in preferred equity financing, meaning each individual project could seek its own investment to avoid diluting the current ownership structure. Investors could get a stake in a redeveloped Stamford Bridge, for example, which will likely cost well over £1billion, with construction costs and rising interest rates.
Chelsea want to build one of the best stadiums in the country and compete for major trophies on the pitch. Their ambition is to complete the stadium redevelopment project by 2030, as they await a decision on whether a £65m offer to buy a 1.2-acre plot of land next to Stamford Bridge is accepted.
Since taking control of Chelsea last year, Boehly and Clearlake have spent more than £1bn in the transfer market on new signings.
