World Cup winner and former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf exclusively told Sports Mole that Todd Boehly does not care about missing out on the Champions League as long as the club can still make money.
The Blues face a battle to qualify for the Champions League, with the Londoners set to take on Nottingham Forest on Sunday in their final Premier League game of the season.
Boss Enzo Maresca will know that a draw on the weekend could see his side miss out on Europe's premier club competition, which would undoubtedly be seen as failure amongst fans.
However, when asked by Sports Mole if missing out on the top five would constitute failure, Leboeuf pushed back on the suggestion that the Champions League is Boehly's ultimate goal, saying: "No, because that is not what they want to achieve. They don't want to be in the first five spots for the Champions League. They want to make money. That's what they showed to the world.
"They brought lots of players and inexperienced players to make sure that when they get a little bit of experience and they show their quality, they're going to sell them for a bigger price. That's what they want to achieve. That's not about football. That's about trading business, markets and money.
"Because of that system, that philosophy, I would say nothing can happen right now. So it cannot be a failure, because they don't care. It's not the target. The target is not to get the Champions League spot."
Since taking over in 2022, Boehly has overseen expenditure significantly in excess of £1b, but the club have finished 12th and sixth in his first two full seasons.
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Why Chelsea fans are frustrated
Chelsea have the opportunity to win the Conference League against Real Betis next Wednesday, and that would represent their first major trophy since they won the Champions League in 2021.
The team's trophy drought and struggles on the pitch have been a cause for concern amongst fans, with many voicing their dissatisfaction with the manner in which the club is being run.
Leboeuf spoke of his apathy towards the Blues, lamenting the direction that Boehly has chosen to take the side, when he told Sports Mole: "Most of the time I say I don't care about what's going to happen, because next season, if they do well, they're going to sell those players. They're going to start from scratch. So that's a real problem.
"We are talking about Chelsea. We're not talking, and with all due respect for that club, we are not RB Leipzig. We want to win stuff and fans are used to that. Chelsea, for the past 20 years, have been the club who got the most silverware among English clubs."
The Blues have often looked to sign younger players, but with so many young stars on their books, it would not be surprising if a number of them left in the summer irrespective of the success they achieve on the pitch.
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Could Palmer leave?
While many of Chelsea's signings under Boehly have not worked out, the addition of Cole Palmer in 2023 was an inarguable success considering he has scored 40 goals and provided 24 assists for the team in just 87 appearances.
Though fans have enjoyed watching Palmer develop so well at Stamford Bridge, there are concerns that he has outgrown the club's ambition, and that he may have to look for a move elsewhere to win the trophies his talent deserves.
Leboeuf insisted that the Englishman's exit from the club cannot be ruled out, especially if Boehly is able to make a significant profit on him, telling Sports Mole: "You don't know what's going to happen with or without the Champions League - you could have Cole Palmer leaving for £120m for the next club, because so far they didn't say that Cole Palmer couldn't leave.
"They're open to everything, because it's their business. It's the way they think about it. So we shouldn't think about sports results for Chelsea nowadays.
"It's more a financial business, market business. I don't know where I stand with Chelsea. If they manage sell Malo Gusto, Cole Palmer, they're going to make a lot of money, and that would be [considered] a very good season to Chelsea's owners."
The sale of Palmer would likely cause uproar amongst supporters, and it would arguably damage the owners' relationship to fans beyond repair.
Frank Leboeuf was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor.
Lewis Nolan
