Todd Boehly hasn’t been afraid to make the headlines with his decision-making and future plans during his near-year in charge of Chelsea. However, his most radical proposal for the club could still be to come, as the hierarchy seeks to transform the oldest stadium in the Premier League.
Together with Behdad Eghbali, Boehly is reportedly considering knocking down the famous old stadium as part of an ambitious £1.5billion project. Having opened back in 1877, Chelsea have called Stamford Bridge their home since the club was formed in 1905, with countless memories made there across more than a century of football.
However, it appears the new owners are keen on demolishing the ground to make way for their expensive vision. As the Telegraph reports, Boehly and Eghbali are claimed to want their club playing in one of the best stadiums in Europe.
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The report identified knocking down Stamford Bridge and building an entirely new ground as being the ‘most likely option' to achieve this dream. While no final decision has been made, it has been said the pair are hopeful of a move-in date of 2030.
In charge of the project will reportedly be Chelsea board member Jonathan Goldstein, alongside executive vice president of planning and development for the LA Dodgers Janet Marie Smith. It is claimed they have made a £50million bid to purchase a 1.2 acre plot of land next to the stadium, and are waiting on the outcome.
Should this prove successful, the extra space would permit more room for 'fan parks and offices', in addition to the new state-of-the-art stadium. One of the sticking points of demolishing Stamford Bridge would be finding a temporary home for the Blues in its absence.
The report suggests the whole project would take a minimum of five years to complete, leading to a lengthy period of time Chelsea would require a temporary home for. While their new stadium was being built, London rivals Tottenham used Wembley, but a similar solution for Chelsea would likely be unpalatable.
Likewise, a groundshare with fellow west London side Fulham is a possibility, albeit a less than pleasing one for supporters, given its significantly reduced capacity compared to their current home. Plans to build a new 60,000-seater stadium were initially drawn up by previous owner Roman Abramovich in 2017, but were eventually halted due to ‘unfavourable economic conditions’.
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