Chelsea brutally told to 'put up or shut up' over potential Stamford Bridge stadium move after Earl's Court setback

Chelsea have been at Stamford Bridge since 1877 and for the foreseeable future, it seems they will stay put. This is because Hammersmith and Fulham council approved proposals for The Earls Court Development Company to build a mix of homes, retail, hospitality, and workplaces at the 44-acre plot of land in late November. The firm believes its £10 billion ($13bn) masterplan, which does not include plans for a new football ground, will "transform central London’s largest cleared development site". They added that this will create approximately 4,000 homes and 12,000 jobs, and now, it seems those plans are a step closer to coming to fruition.

According to The Guardian, Kensington and Chelsea council granted the ECDC's proposal planning permission at a meeting on Tuesday. However, the report adds that claims this has ended the Blues' chances of swapping Stamford Bridge for Earl's Court are 'wide of the mark'. It is understood that 'resounding local support' for the ECDC will make it harder for the west London outfit to stem the tide and now a 'key figure in London politics' has said that it is time for the Premier League club to 'put up or shut up'. The estimated value of the land is expected to rise from £500 million ($669m) to £750m ($1bn) with planning permission in place. One thing that may stand in Chelsea's favour is that the ECDC reportedly does not have financial backing, meaning construction work cannot begin. However, it could receive government support or investment from private companies.

Chelsea reportedly retains interest in the aforementioned site but 'do not want to be pressed into a deal' and are eager to make sure it is financially and logistically viable. The Blues would 'need a business partner' who could take on the project of building housing on parts of the land away from the stadium. Another hurdle is said to be their owners. Tensions between co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been described as a 'major obstacle to overcome', something that could also be said for the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan - who will soon be asked to endorse the plans. He may be unlikely to reject an initiative to build 4,000 new homes, 35 per cent of which are mooted to be affordable, at a time when new houses are desperately needed. 

The report adds: "Chelsea may be forced to reassess their reluctance to buy all of the land. However, sources are confident that the club would not find it difficult to cover their costs if they secured a whole or majority interest. It has been stressed that partners would line up to work with them. A more pressing issue for Chelsea would be convincing the local community that a stadium would boost the economy and raise investment in London."

The report adds that the Blues have identified the Lillie Bridge depot as the area within the Earl's Court site on which to build a stadium. The club's chief executive, Jason Gannon, is said to have met with Transport for London and real estate developer Delancey to explore the possibility of a ground switch. However, there is 'frustration' that Chelsea did not make a formal and public declaration of their interest by putting a bid in before the ECDC plans got greenlit. It remains to be seen if Chelsea will plough ahead with a plan to move to the Earl's Court site. In the meantime, Enzo Maresca's side take on fellow Carabao Cup semi-finalists Newcastle United on Saturday when the Premier League returns.