Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian buys an 8% stake in Chelsea Women

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has acquired an eight per cent stake in Chelsea Women.

The American entrepreneur announced the move on LinkedIn, writing: 'I've bet big on women's sports before - and I'm doing it again. I'm proud to announce that I'm joining Chelsea FC Women as an investor and board member.

'I'm honoured for the chance to help this iconic club become every American's favorite WSL team and much, much more.'

Mail Sport understands the growth investment values Chelsea Women at approximately £225million pre-money and around £245m post-money valuation.

The WSL champions are targeting a domestic treble this Sunday when they face Manchester United in the FA Cup final, having already clinched a sixth consecutive league title and defeated Manchester City to lift the League Cup earlier this season.

Ohanian continued: 'These players are rewriting the game. Undefeated season. Eyes on the treble.

'But this isn't just about winning titles. It's about finally matching their talent with the resources, visibility, and respect they deserve. I've been right about this before and I couldn't be more excited.'

Praising Chelsea women's chief executive Aki Mandhar, the former global sporting director and general manager of sports publisher The Athletic, Ohanian wrote: 'Thank you to Aki Mandhar our club President, and her team for the care package – her integrity and focus on a standard of excellence were a huge factor in why this was such a "Hell Yes"-type investment.'

Ohanian also posted pictures on his social media of Chelsea kits with the names of his children, Olympia and Adira, on the back.

The 42-year-old was previously the largest shareholder in Los Angeles-based Angel City FC, which sold last year for £192.3m - a record for a women's sports team.

Ohanian, who married 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams in 2017, is expected to attend Sunday's FA Cup final at Wembley as Chelsea bid to reclaim the trophy from current holders Manchester United.