BLUE HORIZON
Chelsea in talks over LEAVING Stamford Bridge and moving to different location as they look to build new stadium
Chelsea could have to pay £500million for a new site
CHELSEA are reportedly in talks to move stadium away from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have been working on plans to play in front of an increased capacity since Roman Ambramovich's tenure as owner.
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Reports have claimed that the West London club are in talks to move to Earls Court.
The have claimed that the shift would be to help Chelsea find a "resolution" in their plans to play in a bigger stadium.
It is said that there has been a conversation with Transport for London (TfL), which cares for the site in Earls Court.
The Earls Court Development Committee (ECDC) are keen to construct a mixed-use development that would not include a football stadium.
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The plans are expected to be presented to the Hammersmith and Fulham Council as well as the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council.
If the plan goes ahead and planning permission is granted, then Chelsea's plan could be blocked.
However, the report has suggested that the plans could be too expensive and Chelsea's plan of a multi-use football stadium could be more "attractive".
Chelsea are said to have made plans for the Lillie Bridge depot site as an area that could be developed.
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Fans have had a mixed reaction to the potential move on social media.
One posted: "Now we are talking."
Angry Chelsea fan slams Todd Boehly's transfer policy and claims no Blues supporters are happy with his running of the 'unrecognisable' club
Chelsea will lose their soul by leaving Stamford Bridge
By Matt Penn
JUST what London needs - another £1billion bowl-shaped, soulless football stadium.
No offence to Spurs, because theirs looks great, but it's not like they had years of title-winning history to celebrate at White Hart Lane.
Arsenal moved on from Highbury a couple of years after their last Premier League title win in 2004, and to no avail, they've been chasing that glory ever since.
And the less said about West Ham's move from Upton Park, the better. The Olympic Stadium pales in significance to Upton Park, where binoculars weren't needed to see the pitch from Row Z.
It's no secret Chelsea fans have become disillusioned with the club since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali took over from Roman Abramovich two years ago.
The sacking of two full-time managers in that time, a 12th-place finish in the league, no European football, billions spent on Brazilian teenagers you've never heard of and civil war between the owners have turned the club into a laughing stock.
Seems like the perfect time to revamp plans to leave Stamford Bridge, doesn't it?
According to , Chelsea are in talks to move to a new 60,000-seater site in Earl's Court, something they've attempted before.
Chelsea are said to have made plans for the Lillie Bridge depot site as an area that could be developed in a move that could cost hundreds of millions.
Forget that so much else still needs fixing on the pitch, that the results are still not going the way they should, that players still can't seem to click on a consistent basis.
The owners, who are said to be looking to buy each other out already, might not think it, and the seats might be a little rusty, but fans do value tradition.
The Bridge has been a place supporters can call home every other Saturday. It's raw, the stands are close to the pitch, it has four sides, and most importantly, it's owned by the fans.
For any deal to go through, Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), a group made up of over 14,000 fans, have to approve a move away from the 42,000-seater stadium.
On the other hand, redvelopment of Stamford Bridge would see the team move away from the stadium for a number of years, likely double the three years Tottenham spent at Wembley.
But why not overhaul each stand one-by-one? Both Liverpool and Fulham had stands refurbished and they were able to stay put. There are also plans for Crystal Palace to do the same.
If Boehly and Eghbali are so desperate to put money at the forefront of their decision-making, then go about it in a way which will appease fans.
Sadly, football isn't really about fans anymore, and it'd be easy to say Chelsea will lose their soul if they leave Stamford Bridge.
But you fear they already have.
A second wrote: "We need a big stadium, let's get it done."
A third commented: "We are losing some absolute classic stadiums now, Upton Park, White Hart Lane, Goodison and now potentially Stamford Bridge."
A fourth said: "Games gone."
Another added: ";I’ve been praying for times like this!"
The club would need to find an agreement with the Chelsea Pitch Owners in order to complete any move.
The group holds the freehold of the current ground at Stamford Bridge and could block a move away.
Chelsea has not ruled out staying at Stamford Bridge despite the lack of progress in redeveloping the 40,341-capacity ground.
The club did complete the purchase of a 1.2-acre neighbouring site that was previously owned by a housing charity for veterans, Stoll.
However, the current stadium's proximity to the tube has made redevelopment challenging.
The report has added that Chelsea could have to fork out at least £500m for the site at Earls Court.
In March, SunSport exclusively revealed that Chelsea could have to spend SIX YEARS away from Stamford Bridge if they opt to redevelop the ground.
There have also been AI designs drawn-up to envisage what the new stadium could look like.
The Earls Court Development Company has claimed that there is no "plan" for Chelsea to relocate to the site.
A statement read: "There is no plan within our plans for Chelsea FC to relocate to the Earls Court site.
"We have a fully detailed design, shortly to be registered with both local authorities, which prioritises the delivery of thousands of homes and jobs, culture and open space through a well-designed and considered masterplan which has evolved over four years of engagement.
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"This will see development commence in 2026 with the first residents and occupiers moving in from 2030.
"This is, and will remain, our primary focus."
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