Chelsea announce sale – Most expensive takeover in sports history complete

5 billion price tag 

This article was published on May 25 and has been updated with new information. 

The British government has approved Chelsea’s takeover by a consortium led by the American businessman Todd Boehly. The total package of the club’s takeover, coached by manager Thomas Tuchel will be in the region of £4.25 billion (€5 billion). The sales price of the club is £2.5 billion and the new investors are committed to investing at least £1.75 billion in the club. Furthermore, the government stressed that Roman Abramovich would not receive the money. Instead, the funds will be used to support the victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the New York Times, the Chelsea takeover is the most expensive takeover in sports history, making Chelsea the most expensive sports organization in the world. Boehly’s takeover has previously been approved by the Premier League—according to The Times, Portugal’s government also has to approve the deal as Abramovich holds the country’s citizenship since 2021.

“We are honored to become the new custodians of Chelsea Football Club,” said Boehly in a club statement. “We’re all in—100%—every minute of every match. Our vision as owners is clear: we want to make the fans proud. Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the Club for the long term and build on Chelsea’s remarkable history of success. I personally want to thank ministers and officials in the British government, and the Premier League, for all their work in making this happen.”

New Chelsea owners want to give Tuchel €235 million for new signings 

“Late last night, the UK government reached a position where we could issue a license that permits the sale of Chelsea,” a government spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. “Following extensive work, we are now satisfied that the full proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual. We will now begin the process of ensuring the proceeds of the sale are used for humanitarian causes in Ukraine, supporting victims of the war.”

Both The Times and the Telegraph reported that the new owners want to provide Tuchel with €235 million in transfer funds. The money is supposed to be used to close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City, who finished the season 18 and 19 points ahead of the third-placed London-based club. Tuchel will have to invest in his defense where the club will lose Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen. Furthermore, Marcos Alonso could also opt to leave the club. Tuchel said last weekend that there would be no time for holidays at the end of the season. Chelsea were not allowed to negotiate transfers while the club was on sale. 

The consortium consists of the American Boehly, who is also the owner of the LA Dodgers, the Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, and the US businessman Mark Walter. The most significant share of the club is held by the US investment company Clearlake Capital.

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