Chelsea's Todd Boehly 'meets Saudi Pro League director over summer transfers'

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly allegedly meets with the sporting director of the Saudi Pro League ahead of the summer transfer window.

Co-owner Todd Boehly has allegedly made a trip to Saudi Arabia to assess possible opportunities to generate funds for Chelsea going forward.

Having announced losses of in excess of £90m, it remains to be seen how Chelsea will negotiate the obvious issues that may arise with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Chelsea officially insist that there will be no major problems, despite some reports indicating that at least six players could be sold once the 2023-24 campaign has concluded.

The next date for accounts to be put forward is June 30, effectively putting the Blues hierarchy under pressure to improve financial matters before then.

While sales could naturally materialise given the amount of players that are contracted to Chelsea, interested clubs are aware of Chelsea’s weakened position at the negotiating table.

Mauricio Pochettino looks more secure in his role as head coach after Monday’s 3-2 victory over Newcastle United, but speculation persists regarding his future with a substantial payoff being required if Chelsea opt to go their separate ways with the Argentine.

Taking everything into consideration, it paints a picture of the West Londoners needing to be proactive in order to avoid breaking any rules, and it appears that attention is being paid to Saudi Arabia.

According to The Telegraph, Boehly has held multiple meetings in Riyadh with regards to potential player sales and a new sponsorship agreement.

Regarding the latter, it is claimed that Chelsea are in discussions with Riyadh Air over becoming the new main shirt sponsor for 2024-25 onwards.

The current sponsor – Infinite Athlete – have only penned a one-year deal and could realistically be replaced if an opportunity is found to generate more money.

In terms of player transfers, Chelsea selling players to Saudi Pro League clubs proved key in meeting all rules last summer, with Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly joining Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal respectively.

N’Golo Kante also linked up with Al Ittihad on a free transfer, while Hakim Ziyech would have moved to the Middle East had an issue not arisen with a medical.

As it stands, though, it is unclear who, if any Chelsea player, would be interested in moving to Saudi Arabia, yet it is claimed that Boehly has spoken to the Pro League sporting director Michael Emenalo.

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