The feud between Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali has been ignited by Sadiq Khan, who believes Stamford Bridge is “too small” for the two-time Champions League winners.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with a new stadium for several months and talks over a Stamford Bridge exit were a key reason behind reports of a “civil war” between Boehly and Eghbali in late 2024.
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The Blues’ current ground in west London has a capacity of 42,000 – the 11th largest of any team in English football – and increasing this has been identified as a key priority by the club as they look to cement their place as a heavyweight on the European scene.
However, Boehly and Eghbali appear divided over whether to redevelop Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium at Earl’s Court.
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The former option would require Chelsea to play home matches at a neutral venue for a number of years and Twickenham has been touted as a potential option, with the Rugby Football Union’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, recently admitting to The Guardian that an agreement could potentially be reached.
The latter option, meanwhile, is complicated as Chelsea may need to submit an offer of around €590 million (£500m) to secure the Earl’s Court site for development.
What has Sadiq Khan said?
Khan, the Mayor of London, has now weighed in on the debate and has urged Chelsea to engage in negotiations with him over a new stadium.
“My message to Chelsea is come and speak to us in relation to what you want to do,” Khan told The Times.
“Chelsea are the victims of their success, and Stamford Bridge is now too small for them. After all, this is a team that has twice won the Champions League.”
Khan added: “We work closely with all seven of our Premier League clubs but I’m sure Chelsea look with some envy at the stadiums some of their rivals in London have.
“We’re really keen to make sure that Chelsea, as we are with all our clubs, continue to flourish and thrive, so we’re open to talking to Chelsea about what plans they have.
“At the moment they’ve not approached us. But we’re here.”
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