'We Need': Todd Boehly's ambitious Chelsea claim after dig from ex Everton chief

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has doubled down on plans to build a new stadium after a former Everton chief claimed the Blues’ owner was making promises he would not fulfil.

Stamford Bridge currently holds 40,173 supporters and has been home to the club since 1905. In recent years, Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham have moved into stadiums that boast a greater capacity than the Bridge.

Boehly has not been shy to share plans of an expansion and doubled down on those claims this week. In quotes shared by journalist Ben Jacobs, Boehly said: "We recognise a club like Chelsea needs a 65,000 stadium. We also recognise that's going to be important to be able to compete long term. We'll figure it out."

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wants biggest London stadium

Growing to a home of 65,000 would see Chelsea become the football club in London with the biggest capacity, overtaking Tottenham Hotspur. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can seat 62,850. The Premier League grounds in London currently rank as follows:

1. Tottenham Hotspur, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 62,850
2. West Ham, London Stadium, 62,500
3. Arsenal, Emirates Stadium, 60,704
4. Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, 40,341
5. Fulham, Craven Cottage, 29,600
6. Crystal Palace, Selhurst Park, 25,486
7. Brentford, Gtech Community Stadium, 17,250

Earlier in 2025, Boehly had told Bloomberg that it could be 2042 by the time a new Chelsea stadium could be built. The Blues owner had hoped for it to take 15 to 20 years to figure out but acknowledged that in London “there’s a lot of constituencies that have an opinion”.

Boehly said: "We have to think long term about what we're trying to accomplish. We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out. That's going to be where we're either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways.

“Obviously, inside of London, it's really complex. It's not as if we're building something in the middle of a rural environment. We have a lot of constituencies to make sure that we care about. Certainly the Chelsea fanbase is one."

Ex Everton chief questions Boehly’s Chelsea plans

Former Everton chief Keith Wyness, who worked as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 questioned Boehly’s ambitions when speaking to Football Insider. Wyness now runs a football consultancy that advises elite clubs.

He said: “A new stadium in 2042 – you doubt very much that Boehly would own the club at that time. This is almost like him putting up a white flag and saying he can’t do a new stadium project.

“In a sense, putting plans and planning permission in place for a new stadium would increase the value when you sell the club. That may be what Boehly is looking at, bringing some marginal gains on his investment. But of course, nothing is as good as actually having the stadium in place. Any new owner will be looking very hard at why it has taken so long to get it together.”

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