Three locations emerge as temporary new home for Chelsea with aim to demolish Stamford Bridge

Three locations emerge as a temporary new home for Chelsea with the aim to demolish Stamford Bridge and reconstruct it completely.

The Blues are exploring options playing home games elsewhere as part of plans that may involve demolishing and redeveloping Stamford Bridge, their historic stadium since 1905.

This decision stems from the challenges of modernising the 40,173-capacity stadium, and while no final decision has been confirmed, three locations have emerged as potential temporary venues as the club continue deliberations.

Chelsea are looking at moving temporarily to Wembley, something Tottenham did for nearly two seasons between 2017 and 2019.

Earl’s Court is also also another possible relocation site, as well as the Allianz Stadium at Twickenham, the home of the England national rugby union team.

A stand-by-stand renovation of Stamford Bridge has been ruled out due to cost, disruption, and capacity constraints, so the remaining choices are either a complete demolition and rebuild or a permanent move to a new site.

A rebuild would necessitate a temporary relocation, potentially lasting several years – estimates suggest at least three to four years based on similar projects.

No official confirmation has been made regarding the demolition or a temporary venue, and any move would require approval from the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), who hold the freehold to Stamford Bridge.

The club aims to balance fan accessibility, financial viability, and capacity needs while navigating London’s complex urban landscape.

As per reports, Chelsea’s co-owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, despite their reported differences, have agreed on a major plan to demolish the current Stamford Bridge stadium and undertake a complete rebuild rather than redeveloping the existing structure.

Boehly has expressed a preference for constructing a new stadium, stating, “I think we’re going to be building something new,” while a club insider noted that a remodel of the current site is considered “impossible.”

American Boehly prefers a complete rebuild of the 40,173 capacity West London ground.

Boehly told Bloomberg: “I think we have to think about long term, what we are trying to accomplish.

“We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out. That’s going to be where we’re either aligned or we ultimately decide to go different ways.”

He continued: “Stadium development is a theme [around the world].

“Sporting infrastructure, we’re very much on the front end of the sporting wave.

“We have 16-20 years to figure this out.

“Obviously, inside of London it’s really complex. It’s not as if we’re building something in the middle of a rural environment.

“We have a lot of constituencies to make sure that we care about.

“Certainly the Chelsea fanbase is one. But long term, I think we’re going to be building something new.

“And we’ll figure that out.”

A club insider said: “A remodel of Stamford Bridge is impossible. It could only be a full rebuild.

“That would mean between five and seven years away — and where could they play?”

Addressing any “tension” in the boardroom, he said: “We’re executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where they belong.

“We’re sitting in the top four of the table right now.

“I think the status quo is something that is just fine.

“I think we’ve learned from each other and I think we’re really going to be able to work it out any which way.”

Speaking at the FT Business of Football Summit, Boehly said: “The criticism is just par for the course.

“The sooner you learn you won’t keep all the people happy all the time that brings freedom.

“So you don’t have to live with their words.

“You can’t turn left and then right every three minutes, which is some of the advice we get, if you boil it down.”

Defending the transfer policy, he added: “Strikers are hard to find. You can’t get one from the grocery store.

“It’s an amazing skillset and you have to have a fantastic mentality.

“The most misunderstood thing is that we’re thinking about it measured in years, not months.

“You have to think both short and long-term.

“We’re focused on a combination of both and seeking the best possible way to execute that. It’s a balancing act to figure that out.”

Chelsea are currently 4th in the Premier League standings with nine games to go as they hope to secure Champions League qualification for the first time under this ownership group, with 5th expected to be enough to do that.

“If you look at the evolution of the team, we’ve been aligned on what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to build,” said Boehly.

“It’s a team that’s young, it’s a team that’s got long contracts, and all these things were new.

“To do all those things that we’ve done, it’s obviously because we’re aligned. So I think if you look at what’s actually happening, and don’t follow the shiny light then you’ll see that there’s core stability.

“We’re executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where it belongs. I mean, we’re sitting top floor in the table right now.”