Chelsea are exploring the possibility of renting Wembley stadium for four years while they redevelop Stamford Bridge.
The Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, told a meeting of his own club’s Supporters’ Trust on Wednesday evening that their London rivals have effectively stolen a march on their interest in securing the national stadium as a temporary home. Spurs were seeking to move to the ground for the 2017/18 campaign while White Hart Lane is rebuilt and, while they are also willing to pay around £15m for that privilege, Chelsea’s four-year option would be worth nearer £60m to Wembley over a longer-term.
The Premier League champions are not interested in “sharing” the option to rent the national stadium while they undertake their proposed £500m reconstruction of their home of 110 years, which they hope will be granted planning permission before the end of the year and should commence in 2017. They anticipate being away for three years but are seeking the safety net of a fourth season if there are any unforeseen problems or delays.
The FA are still looking into the practicalities of a groundshare before discussions proceed.
