Chelsea have received interest from investors seeking to acquire a minority stake in their women’s team, with the club’s owners prepared to consider proposals.
Chelsea value the women’s side — which has won the last four Women’s Super League (WSL) titles in a row — on par with Angel City, the most valuable franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Angel City valued was at $180million (£143m) by Sportico earlier this year and Chelsea could target minority investment that would value the west London club at $200m.
In March, The Athletic reported that Angel City had hired the investment bank Moelis & Company to seek out further investment for fundraising, a process that could result in a new controlling owner for the Los Angeles team.
Chelsea, though, are not seeking to sell their women’s side in its entirety and if they do raise capital via minority investment, the funds would be invested in the promotion of the women’s team and infrastructure.
Chelsea also believe that there is potential to grow women’s side with a multi-club model globally, both within Europe and in the United States.
The French side Lyon, via its parent company OL Groupe, bought a controlling stake in the Seattle Reign franchise in 2020, then playing under the name OL Reign. In May 2023, the investment group confirmed its stake in the team was up for sale and the name was changed back to Seattle Reign for the 2024 campaign.
The Athletic reported in March that OL Groupe is finalising the $58m sale of Seattle Reign to a group headline by the owners of Seattle’s MLS franchise, the Seattle Sounders, having bought the team for just $3.51m in 2020.
Chelsea are the most successful English club in the WSL era and have won five of the last six titles, winning six overall since the league’s inception in its current form in 2011.
Highly successful manager Emma Hayes is, however, leaving the club after 12 years in charge at the end of this season to take up the head coaching role with the USWNT. As well as the six WSL titles, Hayes has won five FA Cups and two League Cups with Chelsea but never cracked the Champions League, reaching the final once and the semi-finals on four other occasions.
Chelsea are still fighting for a fifth straight WSL title and face trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their final two games of the season before Hayes’ departure.
Chelsea have been approached for comment.
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