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.

Last week the Telegraph claimed that Chelsea owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly were interested in acquiring a stake in Sporting CP, one of the Portuguese big three.

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.

The Ligue 1 side, which the Chelsea owners invested a £65million stake into, will be used as a destination for development players, with Eghbali and Boehly looking to adopt the multi-club model that has been adopted by Europe’s biggest powers in recent years.

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.

Chelsea establishing a link with Sporting may have moved a step closer however, with ESPN claiming the club is close to agreeing a £404million investment from U.S. firm Ares Management to help finance expansion plans.

According to the publication Chelsea have met with various potential investors as they seek to raise funds for further growth projects. Ares, an alternative asset manager, is said to be nearing a deal to provide a capital injection.

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.

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