Todd Boehly in talks to sell Chelsea stake

Updated: 17 Aug 2026 20:00 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Chelsea minority owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are in talks to sell their stake in the club.

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The Blues' long-running ownership issues could be on the verge of being resolved, with the Financial Times reporting that fresh negotiations are taking place for Boehly to relinquish control of the club.

The American billionaire is once again in discussions to sell his stake to majority owner Clearlake Capital. Conversations over a potential sale have been taking place on and off for some time.

Last year, Boehly hinted that he could leave Chelsea amid a lack of strategic alignment with Clearlake. "We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out. That's going to be where we're either aligned, or we ultimately decide to go different ways," he said.

Boehly is set to step down as chairman of the club at the end of the new season. While this was a pre-planned arrangement with Clearlake when the consortium acquired the club, it increasingly looks as though the 52-year-old will depart Chelsea for good.

Clearlake Capital to increase Chelsea stake

In addition to Boehly, who has in some ways been the face of Chelsea's failings since the 2022 takeover, fellow stakeholder Mark Walter is also in talks to sell to Clearlake - and he is in a rush to get out.

Last week, the financier agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers less than a year after acquiring the team amid an investigation by US prosecutors into his insurance companies. Joshua Kushner, who played a key role in Gianni Infantino's doomed FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, is part of the group that bought the Lakers for a record-breaking $12.5bn.

By comparison, talkSPORT reports that Boehly and Walter currently value Chelsea at £5bn ($6.8bn). At this stage, no agreement has been reached with Clearlake over a sale.

Boehly's lack of alignment with Clearlake goes beyond Chelsea's stadium development. Although he has veto powers, he has felt frozen out of major decisions and has been critical of the recruitment model. His main focus has always been Chelsea, whereas Clearlake has been keen to establish a multi-club ecosystem under the BlueCo umbrella.

There has been simmering tension with Clearlake chief Behdad Eghbali since at least 2024, when Boehly wanted to keep Mauricio Pochettino as head coach but Chelsea opted to part ways with the Argentine and replace him with Enzo Maresca.

That same year, Boehly explored the possibility of raising funds and buying out Clearlake's 61.5% stake, but the private equity firm had no intention of entertaining a sale. This stance has reportedly not changed.

If all goes to plan, Clearlake will increase its stake in Chelsea, while Boehly is likely to leave the club altogether in 2027.