Chelsea owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly in talks to sell stakes to Clearlake

Are Chelsea Football Club up for sale now?

The club’s co-owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly are reportedly in talks to sell their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.

Any agreement could significantly change the Premier League side’s ownership structure.

The discussions come after years of tension between the two sides over Chelsea’s direction. Clearlake currently owns more than 60 per cent of the club but shares joint control and equal governance with Boehly, who serves as chairman.

No deal has been agreed yet, with the talks still capable of ending without a transaction.

Chelsea ownership tensions could finally lead to a major change

Clearlake and Boehly’s consortium bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for £2.5 billion in 2022 following sanctions imposed on the Russian oligarch.

Since then, disagreements over strategy have created tensions within the ownership group. A potential sale by Boehly and Walter could simplify the structure and give Clearlake greater control.

The renewed discussions also come as Walter reviews other parts of his business empire. His family office has reportedly approached Clearlake about selling his Chelsea stake, while his insurance businesses face scrutiny from US prosecutors.

Walter has also been selling major sports assets. Last week, he agreed to sell his stake in the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion to a group led by former Disney chief Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner.

Chelsea’s situation comes amid a wider wave of major sports ownership deals, with wealthy investors increasingly treating clubs as valuable financial assets.

Something interesting is also happening at Anfield.

A consortium led by Amit Bhatia recently agreed to acquire around one-third of Liverpool at a valuation of roughly $7 billion, with Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and a fund backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also involved.

On the pitch, Chelsea’s current ownership group has enjoyed some success. The club won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Europa Conference League last year.

However, their Premier League form has been less convincing. Chelsea finished 10th last season and missed out on European football, while Xabi Alonso was appointed as manager after Enzo Maresca’s departure in January.

For now, Chelsea remain jointly controlled by Boehly and Clearlake.

But if Walter and Boehly do sell their interests, Clearlake could emerge with a much stronger grip on one of English football’s biggest clubs.

Read more: