English Premier League football club Chelsea could be forced to wait an extra two years to move into its new stadium, according to reports.
In January, Chelsea received planning permission from Hammersmith & Fulham Council to build a new stadium on the site of Stamford Bridge, the team’s current home ground.
The project is expected to cost at least £500m (€591m/$645m) and it had been hoped Chelsea would be able to move in ahead of the 2021-22 season.
However, the Daily Mail newspaper has reported that it could be as late as 2023 by the time Chelsea moves in due to the complexity of the construction process.
Chelsea will have to move grounds while work is carried out. It had initially been suggested that the club would play at London’s Wembley Stadium from the 2018-19 season onwards, but it now appears that a move to the national stadium will take place a year later.
Chelsea has also reportedly held talks over a possible groundshare with West Ham United of the London Stadium while work is carried out. A number of other London venues, among them the Emirates Stadium and Twickenham, have been ruled out for varying reasons and Wembley appears Chelsea’s most likely destination.
Chelsea’s London rival Tottenham Hotspur last week confirmed that it would spend the 2017-18 season at Wembley while its own new stadium is being built.
Chelsea’s new stadium project will expand Stamford Bridge’s capacity from 41,600 to 60,000.
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