Todd Boehly wants to buy Chelsea sister club in PORTUGAL

Tom Weber

• Updated: 22 Mar 2023 15:13 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is keen on building a footballing empire, if reports are to be believed.

The American owner has shown his willingness to pump money into his club since taking over in West London. This season, Chelsea have spent in excess of €600 million on transfers, and now Boehly could shift his focus from buying players to buying up entire clubs.

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Made famous by Red Bull and City Football Group, the sister club model has become commonplace in football. Owners frequently invest in multiple sides as it opens up development opportunities for players without them having to leave the orbit of a particular institution.

According to Portuguese outlet Maisfutebol, Chelsea could become the latest club to invest in a sister side, and they could be supported in this endeavour by one of football's most notorious agents.

The Blues in Portugal

Chelsea are reportedly interested in acquiring a club in Portugal and it is understood that superstar agent Jorge Mendes is prospecting his native footballing landscape to help the Blues find the right investment opportunity.

"The relationship between Mendes and Boehly," writes Maisfutebol, "gained more strength behind the scenes after the transfers of João Félix and Enzo Fernández in the last winter window. The departure of the Argentine midfielder to Chelsea, for €121m, as well as the loan of the Portuguese international, were conducted by the agent."

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Why are Chelsea trying to buy a Portuguese club? Because it is believed that the Iberian market can offer ideal talent prospects, while it would also enable the Londoners to send players out on loan to a country with a decent standard of play.

Portimonense already made an offer to collaborate with Chelsea, says Maisfutebol, but the Blues were not interested. Other clubs like Rio Ave and second-tier Moreirense have also been floated, though nothing has developed yet as Boehly and company plan "to analyze other options in the coming weeks."