19 September 2023 , 08:45
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Chelsea are edging towards a stadium revamp after the club got the go ahead to purchase a plot of land worth £65m adjacent to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are looking to redevelop their stadium, which currently has the smallest capacity of the Premier League's Big Six. Todd Boehly has already spent over a billion on player transfers and now wants to take Stamford Bridge, now a 42,000 stadium, up to 55,000.
The club are looking to buy a 1.2-acre site, which is owned by veterans charity Stoll. A deal in principle has been agreed with a presentation set for Wednesday to outline the findings of a nine-week consultation with residents. There has been some push back and concern among locals, reports the Evening Standard.
The plans could anger around 100 local military pensioners who currently live at the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site. The charity have made it clear that 20 flats would be retained and the huge cash injection would be invested in new properties to secure “the best possible outcome for residents.”
Fulham Medical Centre is also based at the site Chelsea are eyeing and they have warned “over 6500 patients could go without a GP” if the sale of the land does go through. A “save our surgery” campaign has been launched and they say “there are currently no plans for a surgery in any future development”.
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Chelsea have long been seeking a way to expand their stadium, which keeps them aligned with the state-of-the-art grounds being built by their rivals whilst also furthering their matchday revenue. Any thoughts of rebuilding Stamford Bridge stand-by-stand isn't seen as viable.
Plans could see Stamford Bridge's capacity rise to 55,000 (Getty Images)Any rebuilding project would leave the club seeking a temporary home. Twickenham are reluctant to host Chelsea leaving Craven Cottage and Wembley as potential alternatives.
The Blues needed to see off 13 rivals to secure the land that could eventually serve as their new home. The club's co-owner Jonathan Goldstein, a London-based property developer and chief executive officer at real estate company Cain International, is leading the project on behalf of the club.
It is understood that the Blues have not yet signed off on any future stadium expansion plans. Supporters will be presented with the possibility of either demolishing and rebuild Stamford Bridge in its current location or relocate to a new site before it is signed off by the Boehly-Clearlake ownership group.