Explained: How Raheem Sterling sparked a boardroom war at Chelsea as Todd Boehly left outraged by Arsenal loan transfer

While the new ownership at Chelsea initially presented a united front, tensions between Boehly and Clearlake have surfaced in recent months. The American businessman has reportedly been at odds with Behdad Eghbali, creating friction over how the club should be managed. These disputes have grown to the point where Boehly is reportedly exploring the possibility of buying out Clearlake Capital’s 61.5 per cent of shares in the club to consolidate his power at Stamford Bridge. However, Eghbali and Jose Feliciano, the driving forces behind Clearlake Capital, are allegedly not interested in selling their stake and have no intention of relinquishing control of Chelsea.

According to HITC, one of the key events that exacerbated the growing tensions between Boehly and Clearlake was the handling of Sterling's future at Chelsea. Sterling, who was Boehly's first major signing after taking charge of the club, was a marquee addition from Manchester City. The England international was seen as a crucial player for the Blues, and Boehly had high hopes for his success at Stamford Bridge. However, the England international failed to live up to expectations and ultimately found himself out of favour under Enzo Maresca which forced a deadline-day move to Arsenal.

The report mentions that the decision was heavily influenced by Eghbali, who apparently pushed for Sterling’s exit despite Boehly’s desire to keep him at the club. The latter was reportedly furious with how the ex-Liverpool star's situation was handled, feeling that the club had prematurely given up on the player he had worked hard to bring in - which further contributed to the breakdown in the working relationship between Boehly and Eghbali.

While the Sterling saga is a notable contributor to the discord between Boehly and Clearlake, it is far from being the only issue fuelling the mounting tensions. According to multiple sources, a series of disagreements over the club’s strategic direction and management decisions have strained relations between the two camps. Hence, the struggle for control of Chelsea has now reached a critical juncture and is on the "brink of civil war."