Todd Boehly’s Chelsea era ends after disastrous transfers and more managers than trophies

· Mirror

Chelsea have confirmed that Todd Boehly has sold his shares in the Premier League club to Clearlake Capital after a headline-making and costing four years at the helm

It has been thoroughly entertaining for everyone but Chelsea fans. In truth, it is something of an achievement to take a team who finished in the top four for 16 out of 19 seasons, and then presided over one top-four finish in four years.

History is unlikely to look fondly on Todd Boehly's legacy as his spell as one of the most recognisable figures attached to the Blues comes to an end.

On Wednesday night, it was confirmed that Clearlake Capital had purchased the shares owned by Boehly and fellow minority co-owner Mark Walter.

The American, also heavily involved in MLB franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, was a driving force behind the purchase of Chelsea and, from the outside, it has long looked as if he was calling the shots, but that wasn't always the case. Nevertheless he has still been part of a regime that has hired more managers than trophies its won.

Roman Abramovich, who remains adored by the bulk of the Chelsea faithful, showed that hiring and firing managers was by no means a barrier to success. The Russian was trigger happy, but his methods resulted in trophies, in part because the individuals he hired were competent and given high-calibre squads.

Boehly, and those he worked with, seemed determined to rip up conventional wisdom and do it their way, some of their ideas seemed to stem from what works in US Sports. This was ultimately a man who ramped up the idea of an All Stars Game, talking about the revenue streams, but ignoring the fact player welfare is an ongoing issue.

Boehly ultimately sacked the best manager he's had within months of arriving. Chelsea haven't come close to hiring a man who sits in the same league as Thomas Tuchel.

Not only has he done that, but he's also spent astronomical sums on players, the majority of whom have underdelivered. Again, look at Abramovich, the oligarch came in and threw his wealth around, but when he did it he was signing Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Ricardo Carvalho - men who would be pillars of their success.

When Boehly and co rocked up, the American was initially serving as an interim sporting director, replacing the widely respected Marina Granovskaia. His tenure had arguably left the Blues chasing their tails ever since.

Their initial summer of recruitment saw them spend big. Really big. A net outlay of £485million - a figure that dwarfs anything the league has seen.

They went for the likes of Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling . Only one of those remains, that being Fofana, and he's spent huge periods on the sidelines.

Chelsea have managed to sign Noni Madueke, decide he's not for them, sell him to rivals Arsenal , and watch him win the Premier League title in his first season. Even more damning was the decision to let Kai Havertz walk the Chelsea to Arsenal path. A player who the Blues couldn't get the most out of, was deemed surplus to requirements to the extent they were happy to hand him off to a rival. He's now thriving as the false 9 for the country's dominant team.

He eventually stepped down after just six months, but the damage had arguably already been done. If you get recruitment and retention wrong to that degree, you'll find it hard to be a success.

The fact so many players have come and gone inside the four years of the Boehly regime speaks volumes for the lack of continuity they've enjoyed. This summer Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap, two men signed as strikers but ultimately underwhelmed, have both been sold to fellow Premier League clubs.

Chelsea on the pitch haven't passed the eye test, you don't need to be a footballing-watching veteran to see that it hasn't worked. And the numbers don't act as any type of solace.

Sticking with the striker theme, the Blues have brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christoper Nkunku and Delap and have seen a return of 24 goals. They've all now found new homes.

It's not to say some signings haven't worked. Cole Palmer for £40m has been a hit. Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, both signed for British-record fees, have impressed, but then you'd expect them to given their £100m plus price tags. The Chelsea project and revolving door of managers was so utterly convincing that Fernandez pushed and pushed for the exit door before eventually joining Enzo Maresca at Manchester City .

Maresca remains the only manager to leave Chelsea, in part, off his own back whilst Boehly has been in the building. Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Liam Rosenior were hired and quickly fired - with the Argentine's dismissal reportedly behind the tension between Boehly and Clearlake.

Questions were asked at the time as to whether Potter and Rosenior's CVs were worthy of them landing the Chelsea job. The club's fanbase had been accustomed to the hierarchy going for a Jose Mourinho , a Carlo Ancelotti or an Antonio Conte . That type of ambition has certainly been lacking.

It seems remarkable that Chelsea are only the fourth highest net spenders in England since Boehly and co took the reigns. That said, if outlay and investment should somewhat correlate to league position, then finishing 12th, 6th, 4th and 10th is a poor show.

Winning the Europa Conference League just over a year ago was seen as something to celebrate, which is maybe a sign of the change in expectations, as it meant the Blues had won all three of the European trophies on offer. No one seemed to realise that a Real Madrid or a Bayern Munich probably can't pull off that feat given they never finish low enough to qualify for the newly created Conference League.

They were crowned the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup champions in the summer of 2025, but the dust had barely settled on that trophy, before Maresca was gone.

Boehly has ultimately been the face of one of the biggest demises of a European giant in modern time. Chelsea insist the day-to-day operation at the club will not be impacted, a sign of just how much power Boehly has ceded in recent times.

With Xabi Alonso in the dugout, and the boardroom uncertainty resolved, Chelsea fans will hope a new era can finally bring some stability to a club now all-too accustomed with upheaval and chaos.

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