Grim new Chelsea stadium prediction made amid £500m project claims as capacity remains smaller than Sunderland

Chelsea are likely to find it ‘very tough’ to redevelop their current home in SW6 according to Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness. The ex-CEO of Goodison Park currently runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs and has suggested that the restrictions at the Blues’ current stadium, Stamford Bridge, mean that a new build at Earl’s Court is the ‘preferred option’.

Earlier this month, the Guardian reported that Chelsea held talks over a potential move to SW5, with Todd Boehly and the club’s owners said to be prioritising an expansion in capacity.

Stamford Bridge - which has been home to the club since 1877 and used to include a greyhound track around the pitch - currently holds 40,173 spectators. It is the ninth largest stadium in the Premier League at present, with Manchester United’s Old Trafford taking the number one spot, boasting a capacity of over 74,000.

Stamford Bridge, however, has arguably been outgrown by Chelsea’s stature. It holds significantly fewer supporters than, for example, Championship side Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, which can host over 48,000 fans.

The Blues’ former owner Roman Abramovich was said to have sanctioned a rebuild of the famous stadium in 2006 and a move to Battersea Power Station was also explored in 2012. However, as it stands, the stadium has not yet been renovated since 1998 and Wyness believes it could still take some time and ‘a lot of money’ before anything takes place due to complications in the surrounding area.

Speaking to Football Insider’s Insider Track podcast, the ex-Toffees CEO said: “Stamford Bridge will be tough to develop because it has some tight envelopes around it with adjoining property and real estate. I know there’s been a lot of discussions.

“I even saw a story of going back to Henry VIII’s reign about there needing to be a sight line from a certain hill across to St Paul’s. There are some great planning stories around a new Stamford Bridge. It would be very tight, it would take a lot of money to do it.

“I believe there was some progress during Abramovich’s time, but it didn’t happen. That’s probably why Earl’s Court is the preferred option for Chelsea at the moment - but there will be complications with that.

“Chelsea will be stuck with Stamford Bridge for a while yet. It’s been talked about for 10-15 years. The longer they go on, the harder it will get.”

Chelsea’s solid start to the Premier League season continued last weekend, with a solid 3-0 win over West Ham 3-0 in Stratford. They will be back at Stamford Bridge tomorrow evening, as they welcome League Two high-flyers Barrow to SW6 for their EFL Cup third round clash.