The idea of Chelsea potentially moving away from Stamford Bridge is not a new one. In fact, it had become fairly regular discourse under previous owner Roman Abramovich, and that has continued under Todd Boehly and co.
However, whenever the topic has presented itself, Blues supporters, and more specifically, the Chelsea Pitch Owners, have stood firm and made it incredibly difficult for any relocation to take place. It has been a reminder of the power fanbases are still able to hold even in the modern era.
It has resulted in Boehly and co appearing to prioritise a redevelopment of Stamford Bridge instead, something which many fans are far more willing to accept.
The plans include major renovation and a substantial increase in capacity. Here is everything you need to know about the Stamford Bridge redevelopment.
What are the plans for the new Chelsea stadium?
Right now, Stamford Bridge has a capacity of 42,000. The plans, which are still largely in their infancy, aim to add 18,000 to the overall capacity, taking the total up to 60,000. That would make the stadium the fourth biggest in the Premier League.
That’s the ‘what’ element covered. The details become a little more interesting in the ‘how’ and ‘where'. Stamford Bridge has a long history, with multiple honours having been lifted there, but both a demolition and a complete rebuild are on the agenda.
While that may seem like an extreme step to some, the fact remains that demolishing and rebuilding on the same site is not only the most profitable way to rebuild a stadium, but also usually the most practical too. This is because planning permission is far easier to acquire on a new piece of land than it is on an existing one.
Even so, a Stamford Bridge rebuild won’t come cheap, with a staggering figure of £1.5bn being stated.
When could the new Chelsea stadium be ready?
The other big question that needs to be discussed is ‘when’, and that is not a pretty answer for Chelsea fans. Boehly himself recently gave a timeline of 15-20 years, suggesting that a completion date of 2042 is not just possible, but realistic.
Chelsea new stadium latest
Chelsea's plans to move away from Stamford Bridge seem to have hit a snag again. The Blues wanted to build a stadium with a larger capacity, which would see them become among the Premier League clubs upgrading their venues. Stamford Bridge is a 40,000-capacity venue, but given the growing fan base, a move away from the current grounds would see the Blues nearly double their ticketing income. So, what's the latest in Chelsea's new stadium plans?
June 2025
While little has progress has been made in regards to the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in relation to the Premier League's Profit & Sustainability Rules.
Since Todd Boehly and co completed their takeover of the Blues, the West London club have taken advantage of almost every loophole available, which has allowed them to spend big while remaining within the Premier League's rules.
Many of these methods, including selling their Women's team to themselves, were controversial to say the least, and many expected those in charge at the Premier League to close these loopholes as quickly as possible.
However, a lack of support from clubs in the division made it impossible to do so, and as a result, Chelsea remain in a very healthy financial position.
While not directly related to the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge per se, this news can only be a good thing for those in charge at Chelsea, as, irrespective of whether they relocate or indeed renovate, any stadium project will likely be extremely expensive.
As it stands, particularly with the Blues back in the Champions League, that financial burden is unlikely to cause too much of an issue moving forward.
May 2025
Club owner Todd Boehly recently explained that Chelsea's new stadium plans could take up to 15-20 years to be fully completed.
Speaking in May 2025, Boehly said: “When we originally bought the club we agreed initially that we had 15 or 20 years to figure this out but it is a big project in a really interesting city like London where there’s a lot of constituencies that have an opinion.
“Obviously the number one constituency for us is our fan base and what’s going to be the best for Chelsea. I think everyone recognises that a club as big as Chelsea should have a stadium that reflects the size of the club and ultimately that’s going to be a strategic advantage.”
While 20 years may seem a little far-fetched at first, it is worth remembering that, because of the Chelsea Pitch Owners scheme, Blues supporters have a lot of power at Stamford Bridge, and many of them do not want to relocate away from the iconic venue.
That will, therefore, make it extremely difficult for Boehly and co to force through plans that anger the fanbase, with a rebuild of Stamford Bridge a very likely outcome of the saga as a result.
April 2025
According to a report in the Times, the chances of the club choosing to renovate Stamford Bridge have increased thanks to the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The Rugby governing body have reportedly offered Twickenham to Chelsea as a temporary home for up to seven years if renovation work forces the club to move away from Stamford Bridge for a period of time.
The RFU are looking to raise money for their own Twickenham renovation, which will reportedly cost £650 million. Having Chelsea move in as tenants, like Barcelona have done at the Olympic Stadium while the Nou Camp renovation works take place, would see the RFU earn plenty of money in gate receipts.
Whether this becomes a viable option, however, depends on the Richmond upon Thames borough council and whether they would approve such a move.
🚨🏟 Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has said Twickenham could host Chelsea matches if the PL club is seeking a temporary home – but he believes the local council would attempt to stand in the way.
(@guardian_sport) #CFC pic.twitter.com/io3VUmXcx0
— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) April 28, 2025
December 2024
The Guardian reports that plans for a move to Earl's Court, near Stamford Bridge, are on hold. The site is set to be developed into a shopping centre, housing project, offices, and a park. Unfortunately, a new stadium for Chelsea Football Club is not included in these plans. The Earl's Court Development Company (ECDC) is in charge of this project.
If ECDC presents its plan to the local council, Chelsea will have difficulty building a new stadium. The club has two options: redevelop Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium. However, building a new stadium near a subway adds challenges. This means Chelsea FC may need to temporarily move to Wembley Stadium, similar to what Tottenham Hotspur did from 2017 to 2019 while constructing their new stadium.
Importantly, Chelsea will need at least 76% approval from Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) to build a new stadium. This group of fans currently owns the land where Stamford Bridge is located.
Are Chelsea leaving Stamford Bridge?
As briefly touched on, the main options throughout the Stamford Bridge revamp have fallen into one of three categories: an extension, a full rebuild, or a brand new stadium. In reality, the latter two options are the only two that had real legs.
The Blues seriously considered moving to a new ground during Roman Abramovich’s time in charge, with Battersea Power Station cited as the most likely destination. In fact, Kohn Pedersen Fox—an architectural firm—created plans to recycle the chimneys, while the club reportedly made a formal offer for the land.
The failure on that front saw the old Chelsea regime again explore what work could be done at Stamford Bridge. Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron were heavily involved in this process and their plans heavily resembled the Bird’s Nest Stadium from Beijing; that’s perhaps unsurprising when considering they are the firm behind that arena.
Again, for one reason or another, that didn’t happen and here we are today. If Chelsea are to move away from their home or rebuild on their current turf, these designs could still prove to be useful for the club's current owners and the architect they select for the project. Although, given Todd Boehly's links to American sports, a design more akin to an NFL stadium is more likely over a Chinese athletics one.
So, what will Chelsea new stadium look like?
Based on the details in the public domain right now, we don’t know much about what the new Chelsea stadium might look like. It will be very different from the Archibald Leitch-built ground that dates back to 1877, though. Another thing we can almost guarantee is that the overall matchday experience will be transformed from a fan’s perspective.
Janet Marie Smith is one of the leading voices on the new stadium project and brings a host of experience in this area courtesy of her role with the baseball side LA Dodgers.
An array of external commercial and hospitality units near the ground complements their stadium. The exterior of the current Stamford Bridge doesn’t allow for such development but the club are exploring the option to purchase 1.2 acres of land very close to the stadium plot, which would facilitate this ‘fan park’ type location.
It's just a case of sitting tight and waiting… for now.
Watch this space.
Premier League Capacities
- Manchester United (Old Trafford) 74,879
- Tottenham Hotspur (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) 62,850
- West Ham (London Stadium) – 62,850
- Liverpool (Anfield) – 60,725
- Arsenal (Emirates Stadium) 60,432
- Manchester City (Etihad Stadium) 55,017
- Newcastle United (St James' Park) 52,338
- Aston Villa (Villa Park) 42,682
- Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) 41,623
The artist's impressions above and others from Herzog & de Meuron can be viewed on the de Zeen Magazine website. The formal planning permission request can be viewed on the Hammersmith and Fulham Council website.
The power of the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO)
The power of the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) will have a significant impact on the club's plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move elsewhere.
If Chelsea do move away from Stamford Bridge, the Lillie Bridge depot area has been identified as a potential development site. Moving to an alternate site would require approval from 76 percent of Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPC) shareholders.
This group currently owns the land where the ground sits, “as well as the name ‘Chelsea Football Club'.”
This has caused issues in the past, especially when Roman Abramovich tried to move away from Stamford Bridge in 2011 by purchasing the freehold from CPO. However, he secured just over 60% of the vote, which wasn't enough to secure the freehold, meaning it remained in the hands of the CPO. Ultimately, this led to a difficult relationship between the club and the shareholder group for large parts of the Abramovich reign.
Liam Twomey of The Athletic said: “Wounds from the acrimonious 2011 vote healed considerably in the final years of the Abramovich era and, acting on behalf of new owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, club president and chief operating officer Jason Gannon has made an early effort to build closer ties with CPO.”
He added: “Any plan that involves the team moving, temporarily or permanently, from Stamford Bridge will require CPO approval – a reality that concerns some supporters who fear the club being left behind by their domestic and European rivals if such a proposal is blocked.”
Latest Stamford Bridge redevelopment updates
September 2024: New new Chelsea stadium
Liam Twomey of The Athletic released an update on the future of Stamford Bridge and potential new stadium sites on Tuesday, 10 September.
Similar to the update in November 2023, Twomey reported that Earls Court Development Company, who are leading the redeveloping project of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre, has no plans to build a new stadium for Chelsea on the site.
Earls Court Development Company reiterate there’s no plan for Chelsea to build a new stadium on their site as they press ahead with their own project.
? #CFC https://t.co/RnBXz7DByT
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) September 10, 2024
Twomey said: “The Earl's Court Development Company (ECDC) intends to present its masterplan for a mixed use development that would include the construction of 4,000 new homes, extensive retail and office space, three large cultural and performance venues and an urban park to Hammersmith and Fulham council and the Royal Borough of Kenisington and Chelsea council next week.”
A spokesperson for the ECDC said (via Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian): “There is no plan within our plans for Chelsea FC to relocate to the Earl’s 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 master plan which has evolved over four years of engagement. 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.”
Piece updated with ECDC statement reiterating that its plan does not include a football stadium.
It has not stopped Chelsea talking to relevant parties about Earls Court. It’s complicated and CPO an obstacle to a move. But SB redevelopment hard. https://t.co/4SEDsJAOFt
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) September 10, 2024
Chelsea's management team is still assessing its options, and redeveloping Stamford Bridge is still possible. However, due to the stadium's proximity to a tube line, it would not be very easy and would take many years.
April 2024: Task force shuffle
A report in the Guardian confirmed earlier suspicions that a move to a new stadium is still on the table despite the club purchasing the plot of land adjacent to the stadium.
In the same month, the stadium task force was shuffled around with new personnel being drafted in to lead the project and others pausing their involvement.
Chelsea executives Chris Jurasek and Jason Gannon are now in charge of the task force with Janet Marie Smith, who was previously appointed by Todd Boehly due to her work on the Dodger Stadium renovation in the USA, stepping down.
Some people have speculated that Smith's removal from the project could be a sign that the club are leaning more towards building a new stadium given that her knowledge and expertise lie in renovation work.
November 2023: Earls Court option ruled out
The Athletic reports that the Earls Court Development Company, who are overseeing the multi-billion pound redevelopment project of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre, have confirmed a new Chelsea stadium is not part of their plans.
“There is no football stadium in the Earls Court masterplan,” they revealed.
Instead, the project will include 4,000 new homes, retail and office space and three culture/performance venues, plus an urban park. That's what the plans say for now.
The site has been unused since the demolition of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in 2014. If the Blues were to leave their iconic Stamford Bridge home, it has often been seen as the natural future home of Chelsea Football Club. That now seems unlikely.
Owner Todd Boehly is expected to make a final decision on the club's future in due course.
October 2023: Chelsea buy land to rebuild Stamford Bridge
Chelsea is moving ahead with plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge after buying a large piece of land next to the stadium. They spent around £80 million to purchase this land from Stoll, a charity that helps veterans find housing. This land purchase makes it possible for Chelsea to improve Stamford Bridge instead of relocating to a new site.
While this doesn’t guarantee they will stay, it gives them a better option. The redevelopment plans may include tearing down the existing Stamford Bridge and building a new stadium, which would involve turning the pitch 90 degrees.
The area Chelsea bought is 2.4 acres. Stoll consulted with its residents before agreeing to the sale, which was not the only offer they received. Other companies also wanted to buy this valuable piece of real estate in a prime location, contributing to the high price.
Today we have announced that we have agreed to sell the majority of our Fulham site to the Chelsea FC ownership group following a 9-week resident consultation. This will enable us to establish new properties, better services for veterans & secure Stoll's financial sustainability.
— Stoll (@stoll_veterans) October 17, 2023
FGG says: A big moment for the blue side of London
Chelsea's plans for a new stadium seem to be hanging in a strange limbo. While moving isn't simple, expanding Stamford Bridge is equally complicated. With new ownership at Chelsea now starting to make progress with their project, the long-term plans for the club's stadium will be a big talking point in the near future.
It would also provide Chelsea with the opportunity to realign their famous home with the standards of their rivals from a capacity perspective. While a 40,000 capacity is impressive, the ground is dwarfed by the stadiums of Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham.
A stadium expansion would also inevitably see an increase in matchday revenue at Stamford Bridge. While the Blues are currently the healthiest club in the Premier League from a profitability and sustainability perspective, that extra income would help strengthen the team's position even further.