New Chelsea Owner Makes Serious Transfer Spending Warning Amid £200 Million Budget

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has insisted they will not overspend to ensure they avoid any risks of breaking UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.

UEFA confirmed the revamped guidelines earlier on this year on spending for clubs, seeing teams now not able to have an outlay on transfers, wages and agents fee which exceeds 70 percent of its revenue.

Should clubs break the rules, sporting sanctions could be imposed. This could come in the form of points deductions, squad limits and even being relegated from UEFA competitions - for example: from the Champions League to the Europa League.

UEFA logo seen during the UEFA Europa League Final 2021 match cup awarding ceremony between Villarreal CF and Manchester United. (Alamy)

Chelsea are yet to splash the cash this summer following the £4.25 billion takeover by the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Meeting have been held between Boehly and Thomas Tuchel, with the Chelsea head coach expected to be given £200 million to spend as they rebuild the squad to replace the outgoings of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and others of whom are expected to leave.

However, Boehly knows Chelsea are restricted with their finances due to the spending rules and will not put the club in danger of any penalties.

Speaking at the SuperReturn international conference in Berlin, Boehly said: "Financial Fair Play is starting to get some teeth and that will limit ability to acquire players at any price. UEFA takes it seriously and will continue to take it seriously.

"(More teeth) means financial penalties and disqualification from sporting competitions."

Todd Boehly at a Chelsea football match at Stamford Bridge in London. (Alamy)

Boehly believes there is financial opportunities for Chelsea to make themselves bring in new and further revenues to increase their budgets, acknowledging that Newcastle United will now become part of a new 'Big Seven'.

He added: "The 'Big Six' will become the 'Big Seven' with the Saudi deal for Newcastle. We believe there is going to be opportunity for everyone to win.

"There will be a reorganisation of the English football league. The opportunity to turn this into a really more valuable asset is available."

The American billionaire was full of praise for Liverpool's club and financial model, hinting that Chelsea will follow their path under the new Boehly-Clearlake ownership.

"We think the way those clubs go to market is years behind the US model," he continued.

New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly walks across the Stamford Bridge pitch. (Alamy)

"We think the global footprint of this sport is really undeveloped.

"There are four billion fans of European football. There are 170 million fans of NFL. The NFL generates $15 billion of media money every year. Global club football is a fraction of the NFL media money.

"If you look at the models that are very successful, Liverpool is a great model.

"Liverpool generates a couple of hundred million more revenue than Chelsea and they generate earnings, so I think there is an opportunity to compete."

Topics: Chelsea, Todd Boehly, Premier League, Football

Matthew Debono

Owner/Lead of Absolute Chelsea. Featured on Forbes and 90min.

@MattDebonoAC