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The Ben Jacobs Chelsea FC column

Chelsea’s 1-0 loss at Manchester City was again disappointing, especially when you consider they were up against a much-changed XI. Chelsea were just a bit too passive, even though they had their chances. With nothing to play for there was no reason not to have a real go against a City side in party mode and with one eye on the FA Cup and UCL Final.

Hopefully seeing City lift their third-straight Premier League title first hand will be a further wakeup call and remind Chelsea’s players what they are missing. For those wanting just a crumb of comfort, the last time Chelsea gave a guard of honour was for Leicester in 2015/16… and the following season Antonio Conte’s side won the Premier League. But for that to happen again the squad must get back that serial-winner mentality. The women's team have it and are on course to claim the WSL title again after a tremendous 2-0 win over Arsenal at the weekend.

Chelsea fans following the men's team just can’t wait for the season to end. I am sure Chelsea’s owners can’t either. They are almost a year in now and know stability and success are needed. The two go hand in hand.

I am sure over the summer we will hear more about their plans, especially as things calm down and the multi-club model grows. The plan has always been to move on the latter in the third or fourth quarter of 2023 if possible. Obviously it also depends on the market.

Behdad Eghbali is on record confirming France is a priority region to target. Chelsea are actively looking at Strasbourg. My understanding is the Ligue 1 club have made it clear only a partial stake is possible. It’s quite a complicated set up. There are 11 shareholders with club president Marc Keller the biggest of them. And as a result, he must offload some or all of his 27% stake if he's to become the next president of the French Football Federation (FFF).

Keller has hired a financial advisory firm called Lazard to broker a deal, and there are other parties talking to Strasbourg as well. It's worth noting that large parts of the fanbase are anti-satellite clubs, so any negotiation won’t just be about buying a stake but ensuring existing club plans (especially the infrastructure or community-oriented ones) aren’t just abandoned. 

Chelsea’s owners remain highly ambitious and I expect strong strides in non-football aspects of the business over the summer. A new shirt sponsor is incoming, fan engagement is likely to improve and a clear roadmap surrounding the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, or an alternative, is expected to emerge over the course of next season.