Todd Boehly, the incoming owner at Chelsea, has met with women’s team manager Emma Hayes.Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea, which was sparked after current owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government, is set to be confirmed by the end of the month.The American billionaire, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss have all agreed to pay £2.5billion for the club, guaranteeing a further investment of £1.75bn.Boehly has been present at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, and has now met with Hayes and Thomas Tuchel, the manager of the men’s team.He was also introduced to Chelsea’s female players, who are currently preparing for the FA Cup Final against Manchester City tomorrow.“I had lunch with Todd,†Hayes said. “He watched the girls train, I had a really lovely couple of hours with him.‘[He was] delightful, really passionate, he’s just a normal down to earth guy, really passionate about Chelsea, he loves Chelsea.“He’s ambitious, as we are, and it’s a perfect fit. I saw him at one of the games he went to at Stamford Bridge but he was upstairs and I was downstairs!â€Chelsea Women are likely to benefit from Boehly’s takeover. The 46-year-old has history in investing in women’s sport, and is currently a part-owner in the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
He also expressed an interest in purchasing NWSL side Washington Spirit last year, although he withdrew from negotiations in January.
Chelsea has been up for sale since Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
The oligarch had his assets frozen due to his “close relationship†with President Vladimir Putin.
While Abramovich remains in the club, they can no longer perform day-to-day transactions, including the sale of players and match tickets.
Despite this, Chelsea Women have enjoyed a successful season. They clinched their third consecutive WSL title last weekend, and will play Manchester City for the FA Cup tomorrow.
The men’s team will take on Liverpool in their own FA Cup Final this afternoon.