Chelsea owner Todd Boehly secures rare win after £65million update

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has yet to see his team produce good results on the pitch since he took over, but he is continuing to make some ambitious moves. The 49-year-old, who also owns Ligue 1 football club RC Strasbourg, is planning to redevelop the club’s Stamford Bridge stadium. The West London club ‘s home ground currently holds 42,000 people and the American plans to increase it to 55,000. The Blues have now got the go-ahead to acquire a 1.2-acre site worth £65million, which is owned by veterans charity Stoll and is adjacent to the stadium. It is understood that Chelsea have not yet signed off on any future stadium expansion plans, but a deal has been agreed in principle to secure the land that could become their new home. On Wednesday, there will be a presentation that will outline the results of conversations with the local residents regarding the development over the last nine weeks. According to the British news outlet The Evening Standard , some of the locals are against the plans. Around 100 military pensioners currently live at the nearby Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site and they may not be happy with the potential development. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wants to redevelop Stamford Bridge (Image: GETTY) Stoll made it abundantly clear that 20 of the flats on the plot of land will remain and cash made will go towards new properties with ‘the best possible outcome for residents’ in mind. The plans also face resistance from the Fulham Medical Centre, which is located on the site Chelsea wants. They have been told ‘over 6500 patients could go without a GP’ if the sale of the land does go through. In protest, a ‘save our surgery’ campaign has been launched and they say ‘there are currently no plans for a surgery in any future development’. Chelsea have been wanting to increase their stadium capacity for some time as they bid to keep pace with their rivals and increase matchday revenue. The former Premier League champions currently have the lowest capacity among the ‘Big Six’ teams Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Should the plans go ahead and a rebuilding project take place, the club would need a temporary home.  Boehly wants a plot of land that will be used to redeveop Stamford Bridge worth $80 million (Image: GETTY) Currently, Craven Cottage and Wembley Stadium are potential alternatives, while Twickenham is reluctant to host the 2021 Champions League winners. Chelsea will next play at Stamford Bridge this Sunday against Aston Villa. Mauricio Pocchetino’s men are in desperate need of a win as they sit 14th in the Premier League. Their only victory of the season so far came against newly-promoted Luton Town at home, along with two draws and two defeats. So far Boehly has spent over £800million on transfers since taking over the club but they have not gelled on the pitch together so far. Chelsea may be looking to spend more in the January window as they go in search of a striker after scoring just five goals so far this season. They are in the running for Brentford forward Ivan Toney. Brentford will demand at least £60million for a player who will have just 18 months left on his contract when the window opens at the beginning of 2024.