Stefan Borson: Chelsea facing 'Big' issue after agreeing £80m off-field deal

Chelsea will face a “big” issue figuring out where they are going to play if they decide to redevelop Stamford Bridge. That is the view... The post Stefan Borson: Chelsea facing 'Big' issue after agreeing £80m off-field deal appeared first on Football Insider.

Sep 20, 2024 - 23:00

Stefan Borson: Chelsea facing 'Big' issue after agreeing £80m off-field deal

Chelsea will face a “big” issue figuring out where they are going to play if they decide to redevelop Stamford Bridge.

That is the view of finance expert Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the London giants will likely have to close down their stadium while the work is ongoing.

The Standard reported on 11 September Chelsea have now finalised the £80million purchase of a 2.47-acre site next to Stamford Bridge as they consider plans to redevelop the stadium.

But the west London club will not take possession of the site until 2027 to provide time for residents to be re-housed during a leaseback period.

Chelsea stadium redevelopment could take two years to complete

Borson suggested any potential redevelopment could also take a further two years to complete, raising questions about where they will play during that time.

He told Football Insider: “The key really for Chelsea is to get themselves into a position where they have got alignment across that ownership group, where they understand where the money is coming from and they have got a proper plan for what they want to do and where they are going to play while the stadium is redeveloped.

“That’s another big issue. It doesn’t look to be a stadium where you can do the work as you go, keep the stadium open in the way that Anfield was kept open while they redeveloped a stand, or the way Man City are doing it now, where they are redeveloping one end.

“It looks like they are going to have to close down the stadium. There are big questions there.