Todd Boehly will curb Chelsea’s transfer spending but he’s tough negotiator and will demand trophies like Abramovich did

CHELSEA fans are hoping Los Angeles Dodgers joint owner Todd Boehly can translate his outstanding success in baseball to winning the Premier League. 

Boehly’s offer has won the bidding process with his £4.25billion offer because of his proven track record with the Dodgers over the past decade.  

But what can Chelsea fans expect when current owner Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich passes control of the club to American billionaire Boehly ?

Sports business analyst Darren Rovell believes Chelsea fans should brace themselves as there will be spending much less on transfers.

Rovell said: “Look, everyone is a downgrade from Roman.

“Boehly is not the billionaire that Roman was so I think if Chelsea fans got used to literally going after everyone and money not being any object – I don’t expect that to be the case with the Boehly team. 

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Boehly – who was pictured at Stamford Bridge late on Friday night, -has a track record of making record acquisitions, arguably overpaying for his teams.

But he believes so strongly in the value of the product that he balks at critics who claim he overpays for his assets. 

The Dodgers have doubled in value since he acquired a 20 per cent stake in the team. 

Rovell expects the spending to slow down with the new ownership. 

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The Russian’s appointed brokers, the US-based Raine Group, have told Boehly that he must promise not to pay out dividends or take any management fees for a decade after the completion of the deal.

Rovell said: “You got a Russian oligarch who could spend as much as he wanted.

“I think money is going to be more strained because against the background of what Roman Abramovich could spend, they are not going to be spending as much.  

Todd Boehly’s net worth is currently listed at £3.6billion, while Abramovich’s wealth sits at £6.7billion as of 2022. 

The team’s future ownership is now at the behest of a private equity firm and not an oligarch, outright owner with no other investors listed. 

“I think everyone is a downgrade from Roman. It’s difficult to upgrade from Roman Abramovich because the cash is there,” Rovell said.  

Chelsea FC and the Dodgers are now interlinked with Boehly, both teams sport almost identical colors, and now it appears that both organizations will inevitably draw comparisons. 

Under Boehly, the Dodgers have become perennial contenders.

Boehly’s consortium took over the Dodgers almost exactly 10 years ago and the team has not missed the playoffs since, won a World Series and have managed to draw in one big free agent name after another in recent years. 

Boehly does not currently run the Dodgers however, and is not currently an employee at Guggenheim Baseball Partners, the consortium that took over the team in 2012, according to Senior Director Steven Lee.  

His biggest contribution appears to be negotiating record-setting television contracts for the Dodgers that have enabled the team to go after whoever they want.

NBC Sports television contract with the Premier League expires this month, and it is reported that ESPN and CBS Sports are looking to make a bid for US TV rights, meaning his skillset may be put to use quickly. 

Rovell says that Chelsea fans are not getting a loud or brash owner, like Jerry Jones or Mark Cuban in Boehly, but the American is expected to take over the team’s day-to-day operations.  

Rovell said: “The fans don’t want a guy who knows it all, someone who doesn’t understand their traditions.

“It is a delicate balance with premiership teams because of the heritage, so you have to tip-toe lightly over what you are doing and how bold you are going to be. 

“In a way that’s good because Todd Boehly is not an in your face guy who could rub people the wrong way early on.

“He’s going to bring his people, his insight and not look to make his mark, but to win, unlike other owners.”

Abramovich’s disposal of the team means Chelsea fans are on the receiving end of an owner that may be out to prove something.

Rovell says most Americans could not pick Boehly out of a line up, despite being a part of a high profile ownership group for one of the most highly visible teams. 

Rovell said: “He doesn’t manifest itself in a way owners normally do,  by showing the world who he is and that he is the one making moves.

“I think he clearly delegates authority and understands there are people who do what they do in scouting that are better than him.”

Rovell says that although Chelsea may experience financial restraint under new ownership, Boehly’s could end up being a win for the team. 

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He said: “Fans should expect someone the quieter side that has the wherewithal to spend, that has shown a record to win, has shown a record to delegate to the right people.

“I think overall it is a net positive.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk