• Has potential to become 'one of most iconic stadiums in world'
• Chelsea stress no final decision taken to leave Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have made an offer to buy the site of Battersea power station with a view to building "one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world", but have stressed that no final decision has been taken on moving from Stamford Bridge and that there are a lot of obstacles to overcome before work could begin on a new ground.
Chelsea have been looking to move for a number of years, despite expensive redevelopment of their home since 1905. The site is hemmed in by railway lines, making expansion of the capacity to a figure that would compete with Old Trafford's 76,000 or the Emirates Stadium's 60,000 difficult.
A statement on the official website said: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm to our fans that we have today submitted an offer, with our property development partner Almacantar, to acquire the 39-acre Battersea power station site.
"Battersea power station is one of London's most famous buildings and has the potential to become one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.
"Our joint bid was submitted in accordance with the sales process established by the joint administrators for the site. The process could run for a number of months."
Chelsea will face competition for the site. "We are not the only interested parties and there is no certainty that we will be successful. We also appreciate that we have many significant hurdles to address if we are to build a new stadium on the site, including winning the support of our fans, the CPO shareholders and local Wandsworth residents, as well as securing the approval of Wandsworth council, the Greater London Authority and heritage authorities.
"We must also stress that making an offer for the Battersea power station site does not mean the club has made a definitive decision to leave Stamford Bridge."
Plans for redevelopment would incorporate well-known features of the site, including the chimney's and turbine hall. The proposals include a 15,000-seat single-tier stand, "likely to be the biggest one-tier stand in football", and shops, offices and affordable housing.
Roman Abramovich's attempt to increase his options suffered a setback in October when shareholders in Chelsea Pitch Owners, a supporter-led company which owns the freehold of Stamford Bridge, failed to vote in sufficient numbers in favour of selling its principal asset to the club.
CPO was formed in 1993 to prevent the stadium falling into the hands of property developers. Read More
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