Todd Boehly is reportedly prepared to part with his stake in Chelsea, with the club's majority owners Clearlake Capital emerging as the likely buyers. According to a report by the Financial Times on Monday, Chelsea chairman Boehly and fellow director Mark Walter have entered discussions to offload their respective 12.8 per cent shareholdings to Clearlake, the investment firm headed by Behdad Eghbali.
Speculation about tension between Boehly and Eghbali has circulated since 2024, when it first emerged that the two men had examined possible scenarios in which one would buy out the other. Clearlake currently holds a dominant 61.5 per cent stake in the west London club, giving Eghbali significant sway over major decisions.
Interestingly, Walter's business dealings extend beyond Stamford Bridge. He is said to be in the process of selling his ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to former Disney chief executive Bob Iger and venture capital investor Josh Kushner in a deal worth a reported $12.5bn — a staggering sum that would set a new record for a North American sports franchise sale. That move comes just a year after Walter acquired his majority stake in the NBA side.
The ownership picture at Chelsea is further complicated by Hansjorg Wyss, the Swiss billionaire who also owns a 12.8 per cent share in the club. Reports suggest his future position within the ownership structure remains uncertain. Chelsea have declined to comment on any of the speculation surrounding the potential sale.
Since Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea for £2.3bn back in 2022, Boehly has been one of the most visible figures associated with the club, in contrast to Walter, who has kept a much lower public profile. Boehly even took on the role of interim sporting director during the ownership group's first transfer window in charge, though his direct involvement in day-to-day operations has diminished steadily since then. Eghbali, who runs Clearlake alongside Jose Feliciano, has increasingly become the dominant voice in Chelsea's strategic direction.
The growing friction between the co-owners has reportedly been fueled in part by disagreements over plans for a new stadium, a project that has been a persistent talking point since the change in ownership.
Boehly's position as Chelsea chairman is set to conclude regardless of any sale, with his five-year term due to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. However, any transaction involving outside investors faces regulatory hurdles — The Telegraph has reported that Chelsea's ownership agreement includes provisions barring the sale of stakes to external parties during the first decade of Clearlake's ownership, meaning any deal would need to stay within the existing ownership group.
Financially, the timing could prove lucrative for both Boehly and Walter. The Financial Times valued Chelsea at approximately £5bn, a figure that would allow each man to roughly double the £325m they originally invested when the takeover was completed four years ago.
While no deal has been finalized, the reported talks mark a significant potential shift in the power structure at Stamford Bridge, one that could further consolidate Clearlake's control over the Premier League club as it continues to navigate both on-field ambitions and off-field infrastructure plans.
Based on reporting from Independent (football).