Boehly, Walter in talks to sell Chelsea stake to Clearlake

Chelsea Football Club is poised for a potential ownership shakeup, with chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter in talks to sell their combined stake in the Premier League side to the club's majority owner, Clearlake Capital. The negotiations, first reported by the Financial Times and confirmed by multiple sources, could see the private equity firm consolidate its control over the Stamford Bridge club.

Boehly and Walter each hold approximately a 12.8% stake in Chelsea through the Blueco 22 Holdings consortium. This group, which also includes Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, purchased the club from Roman Abramovich for £2.5 billion in May 2022. Clearlake Capital currently owns a 61.5% share, though under the terms of the original acquisition, the ownership groups share operational control. A successful sale would leave Clearlake with over 86% of the club's shares, granting it full control.

The discussions come after years of reported tension between the Boehly-Walter faction and Clearlake, led by Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano. Sources describe a long-running disagreement over the club's strategic direction, particularly concerning recruitment, managerial...