Chelsea could be set for a long stay at Wembley Stadium while Stamford Bridge goes under construction. In fact, it remains a possibility that the Blues could use Wembley as a temporary home for up to five years.
Upon buying the club back in May, Todd Boehly and his partners also committed over $2 billion in further investments. This included the academy, women’s team, the Chelsea Foundation, and, of course, improving Stamford Bridge.
The stadium has been home to the west London club since 1905 and is in need of a face lift.
New stadium could soon be in the works
A heavy renovation of Stamford Bridge is possible; however, it is also viable for the club to build an entirely new stadium as well. Premier League rivals such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City have all built new arenas in the last two decades. All three of these stadiums feature significantly more seats than Stamford Bridge. More seats mean more matchday revenue for the club.
One option that is currently on the table is for Chelsea to tear down Stamford Bridge and build a new stadium on that site. This would obviously mean that the club would have to play home games at a different stadium temporarily.
Wembley would make sense
Wembley would be the most logical choice. The England national team’s home arena currently seats 90,000 fans, which is more than double Stamford Bridge’s capacity.
Wembley is also just eight miles from Chelsea’s current stadium.
Temporarily playing home matches at Wembley is obviously not ideal, but it has been done before. Tottenham played games there for two years while their state-of-the-air stadium was being built.
No decision on the issue is set in stone just yet. However, the club has been in dialogue with fans to get their opinions on any potential move.
The Blues also have to consult with Chelsea Pitch Owners before making a final decision as well. They are essentially freeholders of the current site of the stadium.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
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