Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso says the club's ambition remains "very clear" after Clearlake Capital took full control at Stamford Bridge, bringing Todd Boehly's chairmanship to an end.
Chelsea announced on Wednesday that Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, would acquire the stakes held by Boehly and director Mark Walter.
Boehly and Walter partnered with Clearlake to purchase Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, following a sale mandated by the British government.
Before the latest ownership restructuring, Clearlake controlled 61.5% of Chelsea, with Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss holding the remaining shares.
Chelsea confirmed that Wyss will "remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group".
Boehly and Walter are also among the co-owners of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, while Walter recently sold the Los Angeles Lakers basketball franchise for $12.5 billion.
The Financial Times reported that Boehly and Walter are set to receive £950 million ($1.27 billion) for their combined Chelsea stakes, in a transaction valuing the club at approximately £5 billion including debt.
In a statement on Thursday, Chelsea outlined their objectives under the new structure.
"Our ambition is clear: to compete at the highest level, to win major trophies, and to build sustained success," the club said.
Alonso, who officially began his role as Chelsea head coach on 1 July, described the ownership change as an "important day for the club".
"Thanks to the former owners for what they've done. I was not here, but I know they played an important role," Alonso said ahead of Chelsea's Premier League trip to Brentford on Friday.
"And now that Behdad is taking more control, almost full control, I think it's good that the main one is clear.
"I have very good relations with Behdad. He was the one that came to Madrid to explain me the project, to convince me, and we are working well together."
The former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen coach believes Chelsea have a clear understanding of their long-term objectives, even if achieving them will require patience.
"We know where we want to be, we know that everything takes time, but the ambition for that is very clear," Alonso added.
Chelsea have experienced an inconsistent period since the 2022 takeover.
Their highest Premier League finish under the ownership group was fourth in 2024-25, a season in which they also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup.
Alonso was appointed with the task of revitalising a Chelsea squad that endured a disappointing campaign last season, finishing 10th in the Premier League.
The Blues have made a mixed start to the new season, collecting seven points from their opening four league matches to sit sixth in the table.
The ownership restructuring also extends to Chelsea's partner club Strasbourg. Boehly and Walter have sold their stakes in the Ligue 1 side, handing Clearlake full control.
With Clearlake now firmly in charge and Alonso leading the sporting project, Chelsea enter a new phase as they attempt to return to consistent success at the highest level.
