Chelsea are looking increasingly likely to stay at Stamford Bridge with an bigger capacity, according to reports.
The Blues have desperately been trying to expand or relocate their stadium for years.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are thought to be at loggerheads over a solution.
It is understood Boehly wants a new 60,000-seater ground built in Earl’s Court, while Eghbali favours redevelopment of Stamford Bridge.
Now, according to The Sun, Chelsea are edging closer to Eghbali’s plan.
A source told the newspaper: “There is a growing realisation that Earl’s Court can’t be done, while Boehly could be out of the club soon.
“If Boehly leaves, then the club are expected to push forward on plans to remain at Stamford Bridge and work towards a solution for a 55,000-capacity stadium.”
Boehly and Eghbali recently attended Chelsea‘s 3-0 win at West Ham together, showing signs of peace after widespread talk of a boardroom ‘civil war’.
Relations between Clearlake co-founder Eghbali and US-based businessman Boehly have become increasingly strained over the Blues’ transfer policy, results and lack of progress on building a new stadium.
In September, it emerged that majority shareholder Clearlake Capital were actively considering ways to buy out Boehly.
Despite Chelsea’s status as one of the biggest clubs in world football, their current stadium only holds just over 40,000.
Stamford Bridge finds itself right in the middle of west London, hemmed in by tightly-spaced buildings, a dense population, main roads and train lines.
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The Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) control the freehold, meaning the club would potentially have to change their name from ‘Chelsea Football Club’ if they ever moved away from the spot where Stamford Bridge resides.
To this day, that stands in the way of any plans to relocate, meaning places such as the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, White City, the Imperial Road Gasworks, and the Chelsea Barracks have all been considered but ultimately ruled out.
Chelsea did try to buy the derelict Battersea Power Station in May 2012, hoping they could iron out the logistics with the CPO and build an ‘iconic’ stadium with the famous four chimneys, but their bid was rejected.
In 2015, Chelsea announced a new plan to build a 60,000-seater stadium at Stamford Bridge.
By 2017, they had full planning permission from Hammersmith and Fulham Council, alongside the Mayor of London.
But one year later, after a number of logistical obstacles, ex-owner Roman Abramovich pulled the plug, and his sudden sale of Chelsea in 2022 meant the project was never completed.
