Photo by Vianney Le CaerGetty Images for SXSW London
Photo by Vianney Le CaerGetty Images for SXSW London
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has not been afraid to spend big money in his time in charge of the club, but dodged a £30m bullet from Fulham back in 2022.
After taking over the club, Boehly took the role of Sporting Director in the absence of any at Stamford Bridge at the time, and signed off on the plethora of signings the Blues made at the time.
There was an early obsession to bring in young, promising players, although the likes of Gabriel Slonina, Cesare Casadei and David Datro Fofana did not work out as hoped.
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Todd Boehly dodged a £30m bullet with Fulham’s Luke Harris
As well as the ones they did sign, there were efforts to bring in others that never got over the line, including Luke Harris from Fulham, who was 17 at the time.
The Blues were willing to offer a staggering £30m for the midfielder at the time, with them clearly having belief that he would at least turn into a lucrative asset.
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Fast forward to 2026 though, while still technically being a Fulham player, Harris will not be in the Fulham side who face Chelsea on the opening day of the season.
Instead, he is set to join Wigan Athletic on loan, his fifth consecutive loan to an EFL side in the time period since Chelsea considered signing him.
Now 21 years of age, it has become clear that the midfielder is not going to make it at the top level of Premier League football, and him not joining has saved Chelsea a lot of money.
Todd Boehly and Mark Walter graphic
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Boehly wants out of Chelsea
The Blues ownership do not need reminding of the amount of money they have lost on transfers since taking over the club, and could be one of the reasons behind Boehly’s desire to sell up.
The American has started the process of selling his shares in the club, with Clearlake the likely source to eventually buy him out.
However, Boehly values his shares significantly higher than what he bought them for, meaning the saga is likely to drag out long into the upcoming campaign.