Inside the meeting which threatens to split Chelsea in two as transfer infighting rages

Chelsea have come under fire for their bloated squad and willingness to splash huge sums of cash to bring in new players. And the relationship between Blues co-owner Todd Boehly and majority shareholder Clearlake Capital is said to be at breaking point amid transfer infighting.

Chelsea were bought out at the end of May 2022 in a £2.3billion deal after Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich had been sanctioned in the wake of his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Clearlake Capital, who were co-founded by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano, secured 61.5 per cent of the club’s shares, with Boehly ultimately getting his hands on 13 per cent of them.

The marriage between the two parties is now in tatters, according to The Athletic, and a meeting took place last month.

The outlet have reported that Boehly and his associates have received approaches from investors with a view of buying Clearlake out, while Clearlake also have aspirations to buy the American out.

Individuals from both ‘sides’ have provided an insight into the situation and have spoken anonymously to ensure they can provide information freely. There are many points of contention between the owners, with three points in particular contributing to the relationship breakdown.

There is a fundamental cultural difference when it comes to how the club should operate, while the lack of tangible progress in the stadium project has also come between the parties.

And the decision to mutually part ways with former boss Mauricio Pochettino has exposed fault lines, with Clearlake believing that being overruled by the club’s sporting leadership on the Argentine was the tipping point for Boehly to begin exploring his options within the ownership structure.

However, Boehly insiders have insisted a broader culture clash is driving the 50-year-old’s thinking.

Decisions at Stamford Bridge need to be signed off by Boehly as well as Eghbali and Feliciano, with the American never exercising his veto power over transfers due to a desire to pick his battles.

Boehly had been in charge of transfer activity at the club during his role as interim sporting director from the summer of 2022 until January 2023. There were no checks on transfers from Clearlake at the time, with the west London giants bringing in a whole host of flops, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Blues have attempted to address their failed signings by offloading some of them, but they have continued to bring in a myriad of new players under the new transfer chiefs. And it appears the conflict between the ownership groups has gone beyond the point of no return, with insiders claiming that Boehly and Eghbali barely speak to one another anymore.