Chelsea may turn European giants into 'feeder club' with $500m deal 'close to being agreed'

Chelsea may turn a European giant into their feeder club, with the Blues closing in on a $500million (£404million) investment from U.S. firm Ares Management, it has been claimed.

The publication claimed there were “serious plans” to take a minority stake in Sporting, only months after the Chelsea hierarchy acquired a majority stake in the French outfit Strasbourg.

However, should Sporting be used in such a project it would raise eyebrows across European football. The Lisbon-based outfit are 19-time Portuguese champions, and historically a Uefa Cup-winners’ Cup winner.

The new money is expected to form part of a fund designed to help Chelsea either rebuild Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium entirely.

The investment would also be used to improve the club’s training base at Cobham and pursue a multi-club model, something which Boehly and Clearlake believe is essential for future growth.

The club would use the model to give younger Chelsea players a pathway to top-level football. That may not necessarily be the Chelsea first-team however, with the Blues more likely to develop assets that they would later sell to stay compliant with financial fair play regulations.