-
News
- 7 minutes ago
Chelsea to buy Sporting CP? President responds to shock claim
Tom Weber
- 17 Mar 2026 15:07 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas has responded to suggestions that Chelsea could invest in the Portuguese club.
Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali expanded their football portfolio when they acquired Ligue 1 side Strasbourg in 2023, and they have sought to invest in more clubs since.
It has been suggested that BlueCo could acquire a club elsewhere in Europe or in South America. Indeed, this speculation was even fuelled by Argentina's controversial president, Javier Milei, in late 2023. To support his plan of privatising the country's non-profit football clubs, he asserted that "Chelsea were interested in investing in Argentina."
Last year, the Stamford Bridge club announced the signings of Geovany Quenda and Dario Esugo from Sporting CP, which gave rise to rumours that BlueCo could look to invest in the Lisbon giants.
Sporting, like other teams in Portugal, are part of a so-called SAD (Sociedade Anonima Desportiva), which runs the business side, while the club itself remains members-owned. This model allows for outside minority investment without taking control away from the members.
Sporting president responds to Chelsea rumours
However, Sporting president Frederico Varandas has dismissed the suggestions that BlueCo could acquire a stake in the SAD. While it is true that he is seeking minority investment, it will not come from Chelsea.
"It is false that I said Chelsea would enter the SAD," he explained. "In our 10-year plan, we have the entry of a strategic partner with a minority stake planned.
"The majority of the SAD’s capital will remain with the club. We do plan for a minority partner to come in, but it will have to be a partner that promotes synergy and helps us continue this path of growth."
At the weekend, Varandas was re-elected by Sporting's members for a third presidential term with a record-breaking 89.47% of the vote. Under Varandas stewardship, Sporting ended their 19-year wait for a league title in 2019, and two more have followed since.
"You have to go back a long time to find a board with a 12-year term," he said after his re-election. "And this is a fundamental premise for our success. Tranquillity and success mean that members don’t come as often. But I was very happy with the number who voted.
"Members today feel that we are a stable club. We weren’t for decades. The members are the guarantee of this stability, and they are the ones who decide how long we are here - 4, 8, 12 years. Before us, the average term was just over two years."
Football transfer news headlines today
Transfer Rumours: Arsenal given Ousmane Dembele hope as initial talks revealed
Enzo Fernandez 'in talks' to leave Chelsea
Arsenal ready to agree Myles Lewis-Skelly transfer
Chelsea told how they can sign Morgan Rogers this summer
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
