Chelsea bid to buy site at Battersea

The Blues announced that they and property development partner Almacantar were hoping to acquire a 39-acre plot that would be redeveloped upon relocating from Stamford Bridge.

The club’s plans include preserving all the significant aspects of the power station itself.

Chelsea said in a statement: “Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most famous buildings and has the potential to become one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.

“Our joint bid was submitted in accordance with the sales process established by the joint administrators for the site. The process could run for a number of months. We are not the only interested parties and there is no certainty that we will be successful.”

Chelsea cannot move from Stamford Bridge unless they can convince fan-led group Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), who own the land beneath Stamford Bridge, to sell them back the freehold — something they failed to do at an extraordinary general meeting of CPO back in October.

The statement added: “We must also stress that making an offer for the Battersea Power Station site does not mean the club has made a definitive decision to leave Stamford Bridge.

“We will keep our fans updated as the process develops.”