Chelsea to acquire 40 percent stake in Ligue 1 club - Reports
According to Ed Aarons of The Guardian, Chelsea are set to acquire a 40 percent stake in Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. Aarons previously reported with Romain Molina in March that the Blues owners are interested in buying a Ligue 1 club after UEFA relaxed the multi-club ban.
Marc Keller, Starsbourg's president, also confirmed that the Blues showed interest in buying a stake in the club. Co-owner Todd Boehly said in September 2022 (via The Guardian):
"We can show pathways for our young superstars to get on to the Chelsea pitch while getting them real game time.”
The report also claimed that Tom Glick, Chelsea's new president of business, was put in charge of taking care of the process of acquiring Strasbourg. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, meanwhile, told Gary Neville's Overlap channel about the governing body's plans to potentially relax the multi-club ban. He said back in March:
“We’ve had five or six owners of clubs who want to buy another club. We have to see what to do. The options are that it stays like that or that we allow them to play in the same competition. I’m not sure yet.”
The process is now seemingly complete. Aarons further reported that an official announcement on the matter could be expected soon.
Former coach heaped praise on Chelsea's new arrival Christopher Nkunku
Chelsea wrapped up one of the Bundesliga's top talents in January for a summer move. RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku joins the club on a permanent deal. The Frenchman was phenomenal for the German club in recent seasons.
He scored 23 goals and provided nine assists in 36 matches across competitions for Leipzig this past season. Overall, Nkunku scored 70 goals and provided 56 assists in 172 matches for the club.
Cedric Cattenoy, who is now a scout for Chicago Fire, coached Nkunku in Paris Saint-Germain's youth academies. Speaking about his experience, Cattenoy said (via the Blues' official website):
"It was fantastic to coach him. He was a very nice kid, always very motivated, always very passionate about football, always very respectful. He had good support from his family, which is always important for a young player."
With Kai Havertz on his way to Arsenal, Nkunku is expected to be a key player for the Blues next season. The west Londoners are keen to regroup after a disastrous campaign this term as they finished 12th in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino will be in charge of Chelsea next term.