Breaking News: Chelsea ‘consider selling stake in women’s team’ with two investors given huge price

Chelsea’s incredibly successful women’s team could fetch nine figures if they sold it.

Chelsea are considering selling a stake in their women’s team (Image: Getty)

In light of investor interest, Chelsea executives are apparently considering whether to sell a portion of their women’s team. Talks are reportedly focused on a substantial £159 million valuation, which, should it be fulfilled, would require the current owners of the Londoners to cede some boardroom control over the women’s team.

In Europe, the same club’s men’s and women’s teams are typically run by the same owners. But earlier this year, French powerhouse Lyon took a different approach when entrepreneur Michele Kang acquired a majority share in the women’s team exclusively.

Chelsea may be about to follow suit and adopt a model in which women’s teams are owned by people or organisations that place a high value on the women’s division of the sport. The Blues are “considering” the possibility of cashing in, according to Bloomberg.

According to reports, two potential investors are having preliminary talks, and Mercury 13, a third company, is allegedly monitoring the situation.

Emma Hayes is leaving her post as Chelsea FC Women manager at the end of the season (Image: Getty)

For giving up a portion of their women’s team, Chelsea hopes to receive more than £159 million; however, they have reportedly ruled out an outright sale. When Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly acquired the team in 2022, they committed to investing in the women’s squad.

They are three points behind table-toppers Manchester City with a game remaining, but they are still in the running for a fifth straight Women’s Super League (WSL) championship under the direction of renowned manager Emma Hayes.

As Hayes gets ready to conclude her 12-year tenure at the end of this season, Chelsea co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, along with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, have all paid tribute to her.

When the decision was announced to the public in November of last year, Hayes stated, “I’ve been in post for 12 years and dedicated my life to this place.” “For twelve years, I have driven for four hours every day, six days a week.

“My five-year-old definitely needs more time with his mother. Family is important. That is crucial. I’ve given this club my all, enjoyed every second of it, and I believe it’s critical to establish a succession plan, just as [general manager] Paul [Green] and I do with the players.

“Now is the ideal moment. To ensure that there is a smooth transition and that my successor enjoys the same level of success as I have, I will collaborate with the club and exert every effort on their behalf.”