Chelsea co-owners Boehly & Walter explore selling stakes

Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are reportedly considering the sale of their stakes in the club to their majority owner, Clearlake Capital. Talks have reportedly begun within the club's ownership group, following a rift that first emerged in 2024. Clearlake, which holds a 61.5% stake in the club, could now purchase the minority shares held by Boehly and Walter.

Each co-owner owns 12.8% of the club and is believed to have valued it at £5 billion, which would result in a payout of approximately £640 million for each if a sale were to occur. Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, who holds another 12.8% stake, remains unclear about his position. Additionally, US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Walter's business empire.

Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and recently appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager. Boehly is set to be replaced by a Clearlake-appointed representative at the end of the season, as per an agreement made when Clearlake took over the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022. This move would further diminish Boehly's influence, as he has been the public face of the takeover thus far.

Despite reports of a rift, sources at Chelsea and within the ownership group downplay tensions and emphasize the pair's unity at key events, such as Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City. However, ongoing plans for a stadium redevelopment or a move to a new stadium have been a source of tension between Boehly and Clearlake, with differences in design and scale of the project. Both Boehly's team and Clearlake have declined to comment on the potential sale.