Chelsea’s decision to value their women’s team at over £150 million to avoid a PSR breach has raised eyebrows among financial experts, who suggest the figure far exceeds realistic market estimates.
Chelsea’s sale of their women’s team to their parent company — at a reported value of over £150 million — helped the club avoid breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). However, football finance analysts have cast doubt on the legitimacy of that valuation, which they suggest is significantly inflated compared to industry norms. Experts believe a more realistic estimate would be between £20 million and £80 million.
While Chelsea have not broken any rules, critics argue the valuation was used as a strategic accounting move to cover substantial losses elsewhere. The club justifies the figure by pointing to the women’s team's dominance in the WSL, global brand, and ownership of their stadium. Nonetheless, comparisons to the more commercially lucrative NWSL in the US have drawn scrutiny, and UEFA may take a different view as their rules prohibit such intra-group sales from counting towards financial compliance.
