Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wants to buy Ligue 1 side Strasbourg and help them grow via player loans

Posted Saturday, February 25, 2023 by Goal.com

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is interested in purchasing Ligue 1 side Strasbourg and has held talks with club president Marc Keller.

WHAT'S HAPPENING? Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is 'very interested' in acquiring a 100% stake in French side Strasbourg, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season, according to L'Equipe. They report that Boehly and his financial partners have already spoken with club president Keller, who has been in charge at Strasbourg since 2012.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: It is believed that Boehly and his investment partners would be interested in purchasing the club and strengthening them by loaning players into Strasbourg. But while their interest is concrete, they also hold an interest in investing in the German market.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Chelsea became notorious for their relationship with Dutch outfit Vitesse Arnhem, who acted as a feeder club for the Blues and would regularly take players on loan as a result. Any potential deal with Strasbourg would alleviate the burden on trying to find a role for everyone in a bloated squad that Graham Potter is struggling to get to grips with.

Strasbourg have previously struggled financially and had to restart in the fifth tier in 2011 after being liquidated, but returned to the professional game in 2016, and Ligue 1 in 2017. A deal with a club as big as Chelsea would undoubtedly be huge for Les Bleus et Blanc, who have won Ligue 1 once in their history.

WHAT NEXT? Any takeover would naturally take a considerable amount of time. Boehly and his partners would also have to navigate their way around UEFA laws prohibiting teams to have the same owners in their competitions, similar to Manchester United's current dilemma amid interest from Qatar.