Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly could take a walk away from the club two years after his £4.25bn acquisition.
Sources close to the club reveal a rift between Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali is likely to lead to the exit of the former. Talks are reportedly ongoing between the two parties to buy each other out of the club.
Behdad Eghbali, who owns 1.5% of the club through Clearlake Capital, is reportedly not ready to reduce his stake or be bought out but increase it instead. This is why it is being speculated that Todd Boehly may be the one to walk away as the discussions continue.
Why Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are at loggerheads
The major question that has been on the lips of fans is why Boehly, who has been the face of the new ownership, is ready to walk away. Sources close to the duo reveal they still have a strong professional relationship but are struggling to agree on how to rebuild the team.
Notably, under the watch of Todd Boehly, Chelsea have spent the most in the past four transfer windows. They have splashed over £1.3bn on new signings.
Also, they have changed managers four times with several of the new signings easily collapsed into deadwood and auctioned out as management changed hands.
According to reports, Behdad Eghbali is losing confidence in Todd Boehly’s handling of the club. He reportedly played a big role in the appointment of Enzo Maresca as new manager unlike previous occasions when the process was left entirely in the hands of Boehly.
Other subsidiary appointments, in addition to Maresca, were reportedly overseen by Behdad Eghbali.
With Todd Boehly’s dwindling influence on the scheme of things, he could walk away as Behdad Eghbali and his Clearlake Capital continue to intensify efforts to consolidate their dominance of operations at the club.
Enzo Maresca’s ruthlessly axed Chelsea’s Todd Boehly’s signings
Another vignette of the unfolding drama at Stamford Bridge was Enzo Maresca’s scripted overhaul of the Blues’ squad. Since taking over in 2022, Todd Boehly has targeted young players, tying them to long-term contracts.
Maresca apparently aimed a dig at the club’s past transfer dealings under the American when he stated categorically his decision to trim down the ‘over-bloated squad,’ irrespective of the duration of their contracts.
Todd Boehly walked out From Chelsea match following the defeat to Man City
It is understood Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have made concerted efforts to quell the simmering tensions between both parties. However, the former’s recent reaction during Chelsea’s Premier League opening loss to Manchester City showed all wasn’t going well.
After former Chelsea player and Man City midfielder Mateo Kovacic scored Manchester City’s second goal in the 2-0 loss, Todd Boehly walked out of the game. The scene underscored the tense relationship in the club’s hierarchy bordering on the disagreement over team plan, recruitment and the entire rebuilding process.
What is next for Chelsea?
There is likely to be a big change in Chelsea’s hierarchy following the recent developments between Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Even if Todd Boehly sells off his shares, there are predictions he will play little or no role in the running of the club.
Behdad Eghbali and Clearlake are likely to build and consolidate on their recent gains in the club’s management structure.
Chelsea sit 11th on the Premier League table with four points. The Blues’ opened their 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City. Against Wolves in the second match, they steamrolled to a 6-2 victory before settling for a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace before the September international break.
