CHELSEA FC owner Todd Boehly has today confirmed the purchase of Top 4 League club for a whooping sum of $2b all payments has been made and it will be officially announced tomorrow
The American partnership are trying to grow their portfolio of teams and began their multi-club ambition in the summer by purchasing a majority ownership in French side Strasbourg.
They have also discussed taking a stake in Sporting, which would allow them to cherry-pick from the club’s conveyor belt of young talent.
According to the Portuguese publication Record, Boehly and Eghbali’s aspirations to invest in Sporting are no longer on hold, having overcome negotiations barriers.
Boehly is said to have brought Sporting personnel to Stamford Bridge in April to witness Chelsea play Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Boehly has previously stated that he sees Portugal as ‘the right environment’ to invest in a new football club to develop Chelsea’s younger players.
Over the previous year, Chelsea’s owners have been in ‘intensive’ touch with Sporting.
The Blues were reportedly interested in getting Andre from Fluminense in the summer and were willing to loan him directly to Sporting – who wanted to bring him in but thought he was too expensive – before the deal fell through.
Meanwhile, Belenenses president Patrick Morais de Carvalho believes Chelsea purchasing a share in the 19-time Primeira Liga champions would be an insult to Portuguese sport.
‘I believe there is a plot and a desire to offend Portugal,’ he said. ‘In this situation, it also offends Sporting fans and football enthusiasts in general.’
