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Chelsea are reportedly interested in buying a club in Portugal in line with their new owners' plans of setting up a network of feeder clubs all around the globe to develop young talent elsewhere.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and his board of directors have been inspired by the multi-club model set by City Football Group (CFG) and Red Bull GmbH. After the appointment of Graham Potter as the club's new head coach, Boehly is now interested in revamping the whole structure, including the youth setup, at Stamford Bridge.
The plan is also aimed at reducing the club's loan program, which has facilitated temporary deals for 23 players in the 2022-23 season.
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According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have been holding talks to acquire a new club in Portugal. Earlier in June, Boehly held discussions with Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes and Blues' academy manager Neil Bath regarding a potential bid to purchase a club.
Confirming his desire, Boehly said at the SALT Conference:
"We've talked about having a multi-club model. I would love to continue to build out the footprint. There's different countries where there are advantages to having a club. Red Bull does a really good job at Leipzig and Salzburg. You have Manchester City which has a big network of clubs."
He added:
"Our goal is to ensure we show pathways for our young stars to get on to the Chelsea pitch – while getting them real game time. The way to do that is through another club in a really competitive league in Europe."
As per the aforementioned report, the Blues have identified RB Salzburg’s Christoph Freund as one of the leading candidates for the role of sporting director.
Former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards (via The Sun) and PSG advisor Luis Campos (via The Times) are also currently on the radar of the west London outfit.
Chelsea will next play RB Salzburg at home in their second UEFA Champions League Group E fixture on Wednesday (September 14).
Graham Potter opens up about his 'main job' at his new club Chelsea
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, new Blues manager Graham Potter shed light on his role. He said (via Football London):
"I am a head coach and my job is to help the football club. I've always taken that approach. In Sweden, I had the chance to build a football club and that became clear that the club was the most important thing."
He added:
"My main job is to help the guys here, help the players that are here, and put out a team on the pitch that the supporters are proud of."
