Todd Boehly and Chelsea co-owners tell fans: ‘We will make you proud’

Chelsea’s owners have promised they will get it right at Stamford Bridge in an open letter to the club’s fans after a dismal first year in charge.

It is just over a year since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital Group officially completed their takeover, during which time Chelsea slumped to their worst-ever Premier League finish, failed to qualify for any European competition and sacked two managers.

Chelsea fans must also contemplate the possible departure of homegrown hero Mason Mount this summer, with the midfielder, who has been targeted by Manchester United, yet to sign a new contract.

With N’Golo Kante on his way to Saudi Arabia, Mateo Kovacic expected to join Manchester City and Chelsea ready to consider bids for Kai Havertz, who has been on Real Madrid’s radar, the 2021 Champions League-winning squad is set to be ripped up.

As many as 19 of the 23-man squad that beat Manchester City in the final two years ago could have left Chelsea by the end of this summer’s transfer window, along with former head coach Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked last September.

That highlights the scale of the overhaul since the takeover and Chelsea’s owners have acknowledged that mistakes have been made while underlining their determination to deliver on their promise of success.

In an open letter posted on Chelsea’s website, the owners said: “Our promise to you was to make our fans proud. We remain completely committed to the long term and sustainable success of our club and fulfilling that promise we made to you.

“We know the huge potential we must grow to develop Chelsea FC and it is a role we take seriously. Everybody working here is relentlessly focused on driving us forward.

“Clearly, for our men’s team, it has been a disappointing season and there is a lot we can and will do better. Throughout these difficult periods, our fans have supported our players and our team across the country, and Europe with unfailing loyalty. We could not be more grateful for your incredible support.”

Kovacic is on international duty with Croatia and addressed his future and the possibility of joining City by saying: “I have one year left on my contract with Chelsea. It’s been a really bad season,’ the midfielder admitted. Everything indicates that after five years I will change the environment , but we will see what happens.

“Manchester City is a top team and deserves to be in the Champions League final. That’s what I have to say. The summer is long, we’ll see what happens in the future.”

Chelsea’s new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, along with his backroom staff, will officially start work on July 1 and the open letter added: “For all the challenges of the past year, we are optimistic about the future. We are looking forward to welcoming Mauricio Pochettino as the head coach of our men’s team in July.

“We are building a modern scouting, talent identification, and recruiting infrastructure within our sporting department, led by Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, which will help us to identify and transform the squad around elite talent, a squad capable of consistently competing to win the Premier League, raise domestic cups and compete and win at the highest level in European football. We have also appointed Chris Jurasek as CEO to drive our business forward off the pitch, which in turn will make us more sustainable on the pitch.

“The success we are aiming for is only possible with our supporters behind us. We are proud of the creation of our Fan Advisory Board, which will meet for the first time over this summer, and we are confident its new members will ensure you are at the heart of decision making at our club. We will continue to ensure your voices are heard as we look to the future.

“For now, on behalf of the board and everyone at the club, thank you for your outstanding support. We hope you all have a good summer and look forward to welcoming you back to the Bridge in August. Chelsea Ownership Group.”