Chelsea is about to lose the tag of the most expensive sports team just a week after a £4.25 billion takeover
Chelsea are on the verge of losing their title as the most expensive sports team in history, with the NFL Denver Broncos on the verge of being sold.
In May, a consortium led by US investor Todd Boehly secured a £4.25 billion takeover of the Blues.
The new owners spent £2.5 billion for the Premier League club and have committed to investing an additional £1.75 billion in its infrastructure.
Chelsea is now the most expensive sports team in history, albeit they are about to lose that status.
Rob Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune, is anticipated to pay $4.5 billion (about £3.6 billion) for the Broncos.
According to Forbes, Walton, 77, is expected to win the NFL franchise bidding war.
His daughter Carrie and her spouse Greg Penner are behind the bid. The Walton family is the wealthiest in America, with Rob allegedly owning $59.1 billion (about £47.1 billion).
The Broncos have won three of their eight Super Bowl appearances, making them one of the most successful NFL teams in history.
They’ve also made the playoffs 22 times, but haven’t competed for the Super Bowl since their most recent victory in 2015.
According to sources close to the process, Boehly expressed an initial interest in buying the Broncos and was moved into a second phase with four other parties in late April, but it did not progress into more serious consideration because it ran concurrently with the bid to buy the Premier League club.
Josh Harris, a Crystal Palace co-owner who was one of three contenders to take over at Stamford Bridge, was also one of five people linked with taking over the NFL franchise.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will be expecting to continue their success following Boehly’s acquisition in May.
Since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as manager in January 2021, the Blues have won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup. They’ve also reached the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals, losing both games on penalties to Liverpool.
Chelsea were put up for sale in March after its former owner, Roman Abramovich, was sanctioned for having relations with Vladimir Putin, which he denies. Putin’s Russia attacked Ukraine in February, igniting a deadly war in eastern Europe.
The sanctions meant that the Blues could not operate at full capacity, despite the fact that the UK government granted them a special operating licence.
They were unable to reach new agreements with players and had their revenue streams limited in order to prevent Abramovich from benefitting.
Chelsea is no longer subject to the sanctions, and Boehly’s group has agreed to invest in the club. “We’re all in – 100 per cent – every minute of every match,” said Boehly when the takeover was completed.
“Our vision as owners is clear: We want to make the fans proud. Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the club for the long-term and build on Chelsea’s remarkable history of success.”
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Chelsea is about to lose the tag of the most expensive sports team just a week after a £4.25 billion takeover
