Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is reportedly considering "gate-crashing" the £550million sale of British national newspaper The Telegraph in the latest move of the US billionaire's business ventures.
Since completing the £4.25billion takeover of the Premier League giants, in 2022, Boehly and Clearlake Capital's name have made headlines for their heavy-handed transfer business, handing out lengthy contracts and making frequent managerial change decisions, as they did once again this summer.
However, with the Blues currently succeeding on the pitch under Enzo Maresca, Boehly is seeing less scrutiny in the football world. Now, though, we could be about to hear the American's name more often.
The Financial Times have reported that Boehly is threatening to "gate-crash" a £550m purchase of The Telegraph. Three people close to the situation have revealed how Boehly's involvement in the sale could come alongside US media executive Dovid Efune, who has been in negotiations to acquire the newspaper for a whopping £550m.
It's understood that Boehly's move could be alongside Efune or without him. Two people have told the Financial Times that Boehly had held talks with Efune's team to discuss working together, but it's also been suggested the Chelsea owner would prefer to complete The Telegraph deal alone.
RedBird IMO, the Abu Dhabi-backed investment group who are selling the newspaper, are not willing to engage with any new bidders until the exclusivity period with Efune expires - meaning Boehly will have to wait to move alone. Questions have emerged over recent weeks over Efune's capability to complete the deal before a deadline which has been inked in for before Christmas.
The Telegraph has been searching for a new permanent owner for 18 months now after its original owners - the Barclay family - lost control in 2023 after failing to pay off debts to their lender, Lloyds Banking Group.