Chelsea
Financial Results 2023/24
Summary
On Pitch
Turnover
Staff
Profit
Assets
Trading
Debt
Cash
Info.
Summary
On Pitch
Turnover
Staff
Profit
Assets
Trading
Debt
Cash
Info.
Summary
Chelsea's latest published accounts cover the 2023/24 season, Chelsea’s 35th consecutive year in the Premier League. The club finished 6th in the Premier League, reached the semi final of the FA Cup and were runners up in the Carabao Cup. It was the first time in six seasons they did not compete in Europe.
Read matchday finance's analysis of these results.
Financial results for the 2024/25 season are expected to be released in April 2026.
Trends
Summary
The 2023–24 campaign marked Manchester United’s 137th season, their 32nd in the Premier League and their 49th straight year in England’s top flight. It was also their second season under manager Erik ten Hag.
On Pitch Performance
Turnover
Revenue derived from the club’s main operations, excluding player transfer income. The key sources include matchday income (ticket sales), central broadcasting distributions (from the Premier League and UEFA), and commercial income (such as sponsorships, merchandising, and other business activities).
Turnover - Matchday
Matchday revenue is influenced by factors such as the number of home games, average attendance, ticket prices, and the club's ability to generate income from hospitality events and corporate boxes. The only exception to this is domestic cup matches, where revenue is shared between the clubs and the FA.
Turnover - Broadcast
Broadcast revenue comes from central distributions from the Premier League, UEFA payments for participation in European tournaments and income generated through the club’s media platform.
Of the Premier League distributions, 67% is evenly distributed among all clubs, with the remainder based on league position (merit payments) and the number of televised live games (facility fees). For more information check out our blog Premier League Broadcast Distribution for Season 2023/24.
UEFA Revenues are allocated through three pillars: an equal participation share, prize money based on performance, and a value component derived from the size of the TV market (with the UK being the largest) and a club coefficient reflecting results over the past five seasons. Approximately 75% of revenues are distributed to Champions League's participants, 15% to the Europa League and 10% to the Europa Conference League.
Turnover - Commercial
Commercial revenue includes sponsorships, retail merchandising, tours, and other commercial activities.
Premier League clubs will be banned from displaying betting company logos and names on the front of shirts starting in the 2026/27 season.
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Staff Costs
Staff costs include salaries and wages paid to all employees, the amortisation of transfer fees (spreading the cost of a player’s acquisition costs over the length of their contract), and any impairments (incurred when a player’s estimated current market value falls below their book value).
Staff costs as a percentage of turnover is a key indicator of a club’s financial sustainability. This ratio reflects how likely a club is to rely on player sales to reduce losses and comply with profit and sustainability regulations. A high ratio increases the risk of significant losses if player sales do not generate sufficient profit. UEFA’s Financial Sustainability Regulations include an adjusted ‘squad cost ratio’, and the Premier League is also set to trial a similar measure in the 2026/27 season.
Profit from Player Sales
A profit is generated on a player transfer when the net proceeds (transfer fee received minus any related costs) exceed the player’s net book value — the original transfer fee gradually reduced through amortisation. For academy graduates, whose acquisition cost is zero, the full transfer fee is recognised as profit.
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Profit and Loss
The key measures of profitability are:
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EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation) is calculated as total revenue minus the club’s regular operating expenses and typically reflects the cash flows generated by the club.
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Operating Profit is derived from EBITDA after accounting for non-cash expenses, including depreciation of fixed assets and amortisation of player transfer fees.
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Profit Before Tax adjusts operating profit for profits from player sales, exceptional one-off items, and net interest expenses
Many clubs rely on non-operating income—such as player transfers or asset sales (for example, women’s teams)—to comply with profit and sustainability rules.
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Net Assets
Net assets represent the difference between total assets and total liabilities and correspond to the club’s net equity.
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Assets include fixed assets—such as player registrations, facilities, and goodwill—as well as current assets like trade debtors, transfer fees receivable, and cash.
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Liabilities comprise loans (from banks, shareholders, or group companies), transfer fees payable, trade creditors, deferred income (for example, advance season ticket sales), and other financial provisions.
Some clubs have negative equity, which technically means they do not have sufficient assets to cover their debts. However, this is often the result of shareholder loans, which are commonly later converted into equity.
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Player Trading
Net player trading is the difference between player acquisition costs and income from player sales. Acquisition costs include transfer fees, agent commissions, and intermediary expenses.
Squad Costs
Net Book Value is the total acquisition cost less accumulated amortisation (the write down of the player’s acquisition costs over the length of their contract) and reflects the remaining book value of the squad based.
Squad Cost is the total acquisition cost of the current squad.
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Football Debt
Football Net Debt is the total amount owed by the club to third parties. This includes traditional loans, such as bank borrowings (net of cash holdings), loans from owners, and loans from related entities (for example, a parent company). It also covers any outstanding transfer fees owed to other clubs net of transfer fees receivable.
Note that shareholder loans (related-party loans) are often later converted into equity.
Loans
Transfer Debt
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Cash Flow
Cash Flows are reported in three categories:
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Cash Flows from Operations refer to cash generated from the club’s core activities—revenue minus day-to-day costs such as salaries, rent, and utilities. It excludes non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortisation and is measured before investment or financing activity.
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Cash Flows from Investments include cash spent on player acquisitions and facility improvements, net of player or asset sales. It reflects actual cash movements—for example, a £10 million transfer paid over four years would result in £2.5 million per year.
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Cash Flows from Financing cover new loans or equity raised, less repayments or buybacks. If operational cash flow cannot fund investments, the shortfall is usually met through financing.
Cash Flow - Investments
Cash Flow - Financing
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Information
Ownership
Chelsea Football Club is owned and controlled by a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital, operating through the BlueCo 22 group structure. The consortium completed its takeover in May 2022, acquiring the club from Roman Abramovich following his enforced sale after UK government sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Within this structure, Clearlake Capital is the controlling shareholder, holding approximately 60% of the economic interest. Todd Boehly, through his investment vehicle, holds a significant minority stake and serves as chairman of Chelsea FC. The wider consortium also includes Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss alongside several US-based institutional investors.
Reporting Entity
This report is based on the entity Chelsea FC Holdings Company, covering the 12-month period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. Chelsea FC Holdings Company sits within the wider BlueCo group and owns Chelsea Football Club Limited, which is the club’s primary football operations company.
During the 2023/24 reporting period, Chelsea Football Club Women Ltd was transferred from Chelsea Football Club Limited to another subsidiary within the BlueCo structure. This internal transaction resulted in the recognition of a profit of close to £200 million for the club. In the previous season, a similar intra-group transfer took place when the Millennium and Copthorne Hotels asset was moved to another group company, generating a reported profit of £76 million.
Stadium - Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge is Chelsea Football Club’s long-standing home and one of the most historic stadiums in English football. Located in Fulham, west London, the ground has been Chelsea’s home since the club was founded in 1905, making it one of the few top-flight clubs to have played at the same stadium for their entire history.
The stadium currently has a capacity of just over 40,000, making it relatively small by modern Premier League standards. Stamford Bridge is tightly constrained by surrounding residential and commercial development, which has long limited expansion options and shaped its distinctive, compact layout
Under the current BlueCo ownership, Stamford Bridge’s future remains a major strategic issue. The owners have publicly stated their intention to either comprehensively redevelop Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium, potentially on or near the existing site. Any redevelopment is expected to be complex, expensive, and time-consuming. As a result, Stamford Bridge is widely viewed as one of the key long-term challenges facing Chelsea’s ownership.
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