Chelsea are considering leaving Stamford Bridge, and they are in discussions to build a new stadium in west London with a larger capacity.

Transport for London and Delancey have spoken with The Blues about a potential move to Earl’s Court, according to The Guardian.

The club is committed to expanding their home capacity from 42,000, but they haven’t been able to make progress on the development of their Stamford Bridge home.

Chelsea has started searching for a new site and creating plans for a new stadium. The estimated cost of the Earl’s Court location is around £500 million ($653m).

Chelsea face difficulties redeveloping Stamford Bridge due to the stadium’s location next to a tube line. A move away from the famous ground is therefore an alternative option but also fraught with complications.

The freehold of Stamford Bridge is held by Chelsea Pitch Owners and the company could potentially block any move away. Chelsea also face a potential obstacle in the shape of the Earl’s Court Development Committee (ECDC) which wants to build a development and has no plans to include a stadium. However, it’s thought those plans may be too expensive which could then pave the way for Chelsea to firm up the proposal.

Chelsea’s plans for a new ground may also be complicated by a current power struggle between owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The two parties are eager to buy each other out, with Boehly searching for a quick resolution to the current civil war.

Chelsea have not ruled out staying at Stamford Bridge but are clearly exploring other options in a bid to boost capacity for home games. The Blues travel to Bournemouth and West Ham in their next two Premier League games before returning to Stamford Bridge to face Barrow in the third round of the EFL Cup.

Goal.com

French judges on Tuesday ordered six men to stand trial in a kidnap and extortion case involving French footballer Paul Pogba, with the star’s brother Mathias one of the accused, sources close to the case said.

The trial follows a two-year investigation into the alleged extortion and kidnapping of the former Manchester United midfielder in a high-profile case that emerged in 2022.

Five people close to the World Cup winner are suspected of having “meticulously prepared” a meeting in the Paris suburbs on March 19, 2022, which ended with Pogba being kidnapped and held by two unidentified men who demanded he give them 13 million euros ($14 million), according to Paris prosecutors.

Pogba’s brother Mathias — a former striker himself — was not present for that meeting, but is suspected of having put pressure on his younger brother afterwards “with the same determination to get (Paul Pogba) to hand over the money”, according to prosecutors.

All have denied their guilt in the affair, claiming they were “victims” of armed robbers and that they were assaulted after Paul Pogba refused to pay.

But prosecutors called for the three childhood friends and two former acquaintances from the town where Pogba grew up in eastern Paris who were present on the night to be tried for extortion, illegal restraint and criminal conspiracy.

Pogba — who plays for Juventus and the French national team but is currently serving a four-year ban for doping — filed a complaint with Italian prosecutors saying he was the target of a multi-million-euro blackmail plot.

‘Curse on Mbappe’
The 31-year-old told investigators that his blackmailers threatened to discredit him by claiming he asked a “marabout”, or witch doctor, to cast a spell on fellow France star Kylian Mbappe, which Pogba denies.

French prosecutors launched an investigation in September 2022 which was handled jointly by the French police’s anti-gang and central crime units.

During the investigation, Paul Pogba stated that he had “voluntarily” helped members of the group, but then refused to hand seven million euros over to three of them in September 2021. He subsequently kept his distance from the group, he said.

In late September 2022, his brother Mathias — who was born in Guinea — posted a series of videos on social media incriminating Pogba and accusing him of having “abandoned” his family.

The videos came a month after Mathias Pogba had put another video online in French, Italian, English and Spanish promising “great revelations” about his brother.

During the investigation, Mathias said he had been afraid for his safety and that of his family, saying he had been manipulated by the other suspects, and that he hoped he would soon be reconciled with his younger brother.

AFP

The manager who will take over from Erik ten Hag when the Dutchman departs has been identified by Manchester United.

The former Ajax manager is clearly feeling the pinch after Manchester United’s poor start to the season.

The Mirror reports that United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is considering firing him and has identified former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane as a possible replacement for Ten Hag.

The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League last season while also being knocked out of their Champions League group.

Ten Hag was about being sacked before luck shone on him to win the FA Cup final against city rivals, Manchester City.

The club’s revamped board decided to stick with him but the start to the current season has intensified the pressure on him.

After managing a 1-0 win over Fulham, Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on the road and were then dismantled by Liverpool at Old Trafford.

This poor form has only heightened the scrutiny on Ten Hag.

And the club’s owners have been monitoring the potential of Zidane replacing Ten Hag if the Dutchman’s tenure falters.

Zidane has not managed a team since 2021, but still remains a sought-after coach.

However, there are other options for Zidane, who is a leading candidate to replace Didier Deschamps as the France national team manager.