The halted redevelopment of Stamford Bridge could be kick-started within months by a US investment bank hired by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper say the Raine Group, based in New York, is working with the club to entice investors and that the stadium project could be resumed before the end of the year.
Raine previously helped Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi ownership sell a 13% stake to Chinese investors.
The Telegraph say Abramovich is not looking to sell Chelsea but would be prepared to accept investment in return for equity.
It comes after the Sunday Times recently claimed that Abramovich is plotting sale of the club.
There has been speculation about the Russian’s intentions since he shelved plans to redevelop the Bridge, which was seen as a response to issues with his UK visa.
Chelsea are adamant that Abramovich has no plans to sell and that he remains fully committed.
And the Daily Mail reported earlier this week that staff at Chelsea have been told that the redevelopment project will restart even though a date has not yet been specified.
Meanwhile, The Times this week claimed that Abramovich will demand an offer of at least £2.5bn to consider selling Chelsea.
But The Times also say he “is not actively looking to sell the club” despite having “received numerous inquiries” since his visa problems earlier this summer.
This post was last modified on 01/09/2018