Olivia Smith: First £1m transfer shows good and bad of women’s football Sport Business As a snapshot of the state of women’s club football, Arsenal’s world record £1m signing of Canadian forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool works pretty well. The first ever million-pound transfer in the women’s game underlines the rapid financial evolution it has undergone since the turn of the decade, as investment has poured in from clubs, [...]
Premier League to keep ability to sell hotels to related companies Sport Business Not enough support was garnered amongst Premier League clubs to hold a vote on changing rules relating to fixed assets. The decision means Premier League clubs like Chelsea will still be able to sell hotels to a company linked to their owners without penalty. The Blues sold two hotels in 2023 and included the generated [...]
Reddit founder Ohanian ‘honoured’ to invest £20m in WSL side Chelsea Sport Business Reddit founder and husband of Sarina Williams Alexis Ohanian says he’s honoured to become an investor in Chelsea Women. The American has invested £20m in the Women’s Super League champions in return for a 10 per cent stake in the London club, valuing them at £200m. Ohanian, estimated to be worth $150m, will be at [...]
Chelsea Women sign Skoda as first back of shirt sponsor May 8, 2025 Chelsea Women will get their first ever back of shirt partner after signing an extension to its partnership with Skoda. The Czech brand’s UK arm will don the back of the Chelsea shirts, effective immediately, having first partnered with the Kingsmeadow club in 2024. Chelsea won their sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title this month [...]
Scrapping relegation can help WSL dodge trap set by men’s football March 13, 2025 The WSL’s new leadership deserves credit for seriously considering ditching relegation in pursuit of a firmer financial footing for women’s football, writes Ed Warner. Manchester City have sacked their head coach with hopes of Champions League qualification this season fading and only cup dreams to cling to. No, not Pep Guardiola, but Gareth Taylor, now [...]
Chelsea Women’s rivals face a stark choice: spend – or be left behind February 6, 2025 During the January transfer window Chelsea Women made headlines with their spending, although that is nothing new for the club. Their male counterparts hold the record for the most spent in one winter window, having splashed out £275m in 2023. Chelsea Women broke the $1m transfer fee glass ceiling in the women’s game when they [...]
American fund interested in minority stake in Chelsea January 17, 2025 The founder of Angel City FC Kara Nortman is reportedly interested in buying a stake in Women’s Super League club Chelsea FC Women. Monarch Collective, a £123m fund launched by Nortman, is interested in a minority stake in the WSL champions Chelsea, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. National Women’s Soccer League club Angel City [...]
Richest women’s football teams: Arsenal rival Barcelona for top spot January 17, 2025 Arsenal are now rivalling Barcelona as the richest women’s football team in world football, according to new analysis by Deloitte. The all-conquering Catalan club remain No1 in the business advisory firm’s ranking of the biggest women’s teams by revenue generated. But Arsenal are a very close second, having also recorded revenue of €17.9m (£15.1m) for [...]