Chelsea's sale of their women's team to themselves - what does it mean?

What is going connected with the ownership of Chelsea's women's team?

In April, it emerged Chelsea had sold the squad to genitor institution BlueCo for £198.7m, a process that helped enactment the wider concern into profit.

Then past week it was announced that Reddit laminitis Alexis Ohanian, who has a way grounds of supporting women's sport, had purchased an 8-10% involvement for £20m.

The woody looks similar some a clever determination to navigate Profit and Sustainability Rules, and a fantastic boost to Chelsea's already incredibly palmy and ascendant team.

So, what is the background? Has the merchantability highlighted a loophole that needs to beryllium closed? What does it mean for the transportation money for Chelsea men? And however mightiness Chelsea women make further with this groundbreaking investment?

BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella and Emma Sanders reply the cardinal questions.

Since consortium BlueCo's £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea successful 2022, the caller owners person been known for taking vantage of gaps successful Premier League rules.

First, agelong contracts - Chelsea spent astir £1.7bn successful transportation fees successful the five-year play to 2024. They were allowed to support spending aft spreading the costs of those fees crossed six, 7 and eight-year deals. The maneuver knows arsenic amortisation.

In 2023, Uefa reacted by changing its rules truthful transportation fees could lone beryllium dispersed crossed a maximum of 5 years of a player's archetypal contract. Later that twelvemonth the Premier League followed suit.

Selling homegrown players for 'pure profit' has besides helped support Chelsea wrong PSR. Chelsea sold Mason Mount to Manchester United for £52.5m successful 2023 and Conor Gallagher for £33m to Atletico Madrid successful 2024.

When Chelsea caput manager Enzo Maresca was questioned astir the merchantability of Gallagher past summertime helium called connected the Premier League to alteration its fiscal rules truthful clubs bash not consciousness "compelled" to merchantability academy players.

Chelsea's fiscal accounts successful April 2024, revealed the nine sold 2 hotels to different sister institution to support them PSR compliant.

The income were ratified by the Premier League nether what is termed a "fair marketplace valuation" nether the league's associated-party transaction rules.

The nine reported a pre-tax nett of £128.4m having besides efficaciously sold the women's squad and perchance different subsidiaries to themselves for astir £198.7m.

Will this loophole beryllium closed? There was an effort by the Premier League successful June 2024 that failed to get capable votes.

It looks acceptable to beryllium backmost connected the table, alongside selling grooming grounds and different assets, prohibited by some Uefa and the English Football League (EFL).

Chelsea are expected to present person capable fiscal headroom to walk connected targets this summertime including a striker, winger and cardinal defender. One elder root believes the nine volition beryllium "aggressive" successful the market.

Chelsea's home dominance has reached a caller level this play nether caput manager Sonia Bompastor, who took implicit from Emma Hayes past summer.

The FA Cup triumph implicit Manchester United astatine Wembley completed an unbeaten home play and a 2nd treble successful 4 years. They person won six Women's Super League titles successful a row.

Ohanian described Chelsea arsenic the "queens of planetary soccer" who volition go a "billion-dollar franchise" arsenic helium watched Sunday's triumph alongside woman Serena Williams.

Bompastor praised Ohanian's investment, saying it was astir "values" and showed "respect" for the women's crippled and Chelsea's achievements.

The 42-year-old has invested successful women's shot previously, arsenic the largest shareholder successful American nine broadside Angel City FC until it was sold successful 2024 for £192.3m - the highest terms for a women's sports squad earlier this deal.

Chelsea made it known publically past summertime they wanted to find a backstage capitalist for the women's squad and that they had large ambitions for the future.

They stayed existent to their connection – adjacent if determination are benefits for the men's squad – by breaking records successful the women's transportation marketplace and recruiting 1 of Europe's apical coaches successful Bompastor.

In January, USA defender Naomi Girma joined Chelsea successful a satellite grounds transportation for a pistillate footballer. The interest is believed to beryllium successful the portion of £900,000 ($1.1m).

The concern is important for women's shot successful England and Europe. Selling number stakes successful a nine has mostly stemmed from the United States.

Natalie Portman, America Ferrera, Mia Hamm, Sophia Bush, Abby Wambach and Eva Longoria person each invested successful American nine Angel City recently.

There is simply a feeling it volition turn successful England with WSL Football – the institution overseeing the country's apical 2 tiers – continuing to make the professionalisation of the game.

Creating much selling opportunities, attracting amended sponsorship deals and gathering a commercially viable marque are each precocious connected WSL Football's precedence list.

They person supported the power of US billionaire Michele Kang, who led the mode with her ownership of French giants Lyon, earlier taking implicit London City Lionesses, helping them summation promotion to the WSL this season.

Former NFL superstar Tom Brady's input astatine Birmingham City has besides provided a boost for the Women's Championship side.

The worthy of the WSL champions is understood to person been benchmarked against Angel City's valuation. However, portion The National Women's Soccer League nine marque £30m-a-year profit, Chelsea's women's squad made a nonaccomplishment successful their astir caller accounts.

Football concern adept Kieran Maguire said: "I deliberation it is intolerable to warrant connected a accepted valuation metric.

"Newcastle were sold for doubly their revenue, Chelsea men were 5 times their gross contempt being successful situation and Manchester United 7 times – and they are the biggest marque successful football.

"Chelsea women sold for 18 times their revenue, and the maturation imaginable is uncertain."

Dr Christina Philippou - a women's shot concern adept - believes determination are questions astir however Chelsea's caller ownership exemplary volition enactment but that it shows the "unrealised potential" for women's football.

"It is simply a precocious valuation for a deficiency of control," said Dr Philippou. "Given who the capitalist is and what they person done successful women's athletics with Angel City and the personage tie-in. There has to beryllium questions astir what the shareholding looks like.

"It is an indicator arsenic wherever they spot the marketplace going. Buyers deliberation determination is simply a batch of unrealised potential."

Dr Philippou believes definite WSL clubs volition person raised an eyebrow astatine the developments successful westbound London but warned akin concern successful the women's crippled has some pros and cons.

"Arsenal women marque much wealth than Chelsea women do," she added. "Last twelvemonth £11m Chelsea, Arsenal £15m.

"If you were Arsenal you'd beryllium looking astatine that (£200m) valuation. They person a amended set-up and amended attendances.

"If I was Arsenal my antenna would beryllium up and looking into that possibility. Big investors showing involvement is simply a affirmative thing. Others volition beryllium consenting to put and hold partnerships.

"The antagonistic broadside is that you person those consenting to put successful their women's teams and those who are not.

"That tin make a monolithic competitory imbalance. Having the aforesaid clubs triumph each twelvemonth is not that exciting. Everyone wants excitement, broadcasters, commercialized partners and supporters."