Boehly is on the brink of leaving Chelsea with Clearlake Capital set to take control of club

Behdad Eghbali and his Clearlake Capital group could soon have total control over Chelsea with Todd Boehly and Mark Walter believed to be progressing in talks to sell their minority shares.

Boehly, Walter and Hansjorg Wyss own 38.5 per cent of the Premier League club collectively. The other 61.5 per cent is held by Clearlake, who are led by Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano.

While Boehly is Chelsea chairman and was the original face of the 2022 takeover, Eghbali has been the most hands-on of all the co-owners. He often liaises with the sporting directorship team and is a consistent attendee at games both at home and away.

In a statement issued to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Walter confirmed that he is seeking a sale with an agreement close. Boehly is likewise expected to sell. Wyss’s stance is unconfirmed.

If all three agreed to an in-house sale, Boehly, Walter and Wyss would expect to make a minor profit on their original investment. The entire consortium purchased Chelsea for £2.5billion in 2022 with an additional £1.75bn committed to investment in the club.

As originally reported by Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Walter said: ‘This potential transaction values Mark Walter’s stake in Chelsea Football Club at a premium to his initial investment and is another successful sports investment for him. After this exit, Mr Walter intends to make future sports-related investments.’

The spokesperson added: ‘Walter did not initiate the proposed transaction to sell his interest, which has been in the works for quite some time.’

Boehly tried his hand at being involved in transfers early on – he once admitted to buying Marc Cucurella from Brighton because Manchester City also wanted him – though Eghbali has largely led the show since that early experiment.

Reports have suggested Boehly and Eghbali held a strained relationship and there has been speculation surrounding one buying out the other for around two years now.