Chelsea to set up a multi-club network
The Premier League side want to create a network of clubs around the world. They have targeted Santos, Lyon, Sochaux and are in talks with Portimonense.
Tom Glick is on a mission. The Chelsea executive is in charge of building a network of clubs around the world and he is an expert. Before working at Stamford Bridge, Glick worked with Manchester City, which led to the well-known City Football Group (CFG), a group that inspires Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly.
After spending four years as chief executive of Derby County, Glick joined City in 2012 as chief commercial and operating officer. He took up a similar role at CFG before becoming the president of Tepper Sports & Entertainment – the parent company of the NFL side Carolina Panthers and the MLS club Charlotte FC – in 2018.
Chelsea’s plan is medium to long-term and will be aimed at improving its youth academy. Boehly wants to nurture these clubs, train their emerging stars and ultimately strengthen the Chelsea academy.
In addition to City, Glick has worked with Crystal Palace and investor John Textor, who gave him the same role he would later take on at Chelsea. And in this process of searching for candidates, Chelsea have already encountered several negative responses from different parts of the world.
Clubs rejecting Chelsea offer
According to various English outlets, Santos have rejected Chelsea’s offer, as have Lyon and Sochaux, who were also not convinced by the London club’s proposal. However, there would still be several negotiations with top-level clubs, such as Portimonense, as reported by the Evening Standard.
Boehly confirmed in early September that he had identified Portugal as a good country to buy a satellite team and the club he had in mind was Portimonense. Alongside the fourth-placed team in the Portuguese league, Boehly will continue to explore the possibility of acquiring a club in Belgium.