Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are reportedly close to selling their minority stakes in club
Todd Boehly
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is in talks over selling his stake in the club(Image: PA Wire)
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Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are on the verge of selling their minority shares at Chelsea, with Clearlake Capital nearing an agreement for their stakes in the club.
Last month, it was revealed that Boehly and Walter had begun discussions to offload their 12.8 per cent shares in Chelsea.
The American duo were part of the BlueCo consortium that acquired the Premier League side from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, bringing an end to the Russian oligarch's 19-year ownership.
BlueCo spent £ 2.5 billion on the Blues and committed to injecting an additional £1.75bn into the club. Chelsea have had something of a turbulent period since, with expenditure exceeding £1.5bn on player acquisitions while internal friction has developed.
Chelsea chairman and co-owner Boehly and Clearlake's chief, Behdad Eghbali, have disagreed over strategic direction, including potential plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge.
Clearlake hold the controlling stake with 61.5 per cent of the club, while the remaining 38.5 per cent is divided equally among Walter, Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss.
The prospect of shareholders purchasing one another's stakes has repeatedly surfaced in recent years - and football.london understands Clearlake now appear set to assume full control.
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An agreement is close to completion following intensified negotiations in recent weeks. While previous discussions on valuation have stalled, a representative for Walter confirmed to the finance website Bloomberg that the 66-year-old will realise a return when the transaction concludes.
"This potential transaction values Mark Walter's stake in Chelsea Football Club at a premium to his initial investment and is another successful sports investment for him," the spokesperson said.
"After this exit, Mr. Walter intends to make future sports-related investments. Walter did not initiate the proposed transaction to sell his interest, which has been in the works for quite some time."
Todd Boehly and Mark Walter
Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are set to sell their shares in Chelsea
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Whether the 90-year-old Wyss wishes to sell remains uncertain. However, the development continues a pattern for Walter, who last month agreed to offload the basketball franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers, to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record-breaking $12.5bn (£9.25bn).
BlueCo's tenure overseeing Chelsea has witnessed substantial player turnover, alongside six different permanent managers departing and arriving.
Now under Xabi Alonso's stewardship, the club invested £349m on transfers this summer, securing 11 players while offloading 17 for £382m and dispatching 22 on loan to register a profit.
Chelsea currently occupy fourth position in the Premier League standings, having secured two victories and suffered one defeat from their opening three fixtures.
Their revamped attacking unit has demonstrated considerable promise, with their 6-3 comeback triumph over Leeds in the Carabao Cup highlighting their capabilities.