Chelsea supporters who arrived at Stamford Bridge a few hours after the announcement of a private equity-backed plan to purchase the club hailed the idea of a return to stability but expressed anxiety regarding the objectives of the new owners.

Chelsea announced early Saturday morning that an agreement had been reached with a consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital to purchase the reigning European champions for 4.25 billion pounds ($5.2 billion).

The current owner of Chelsea, the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, put the club up for sale in early March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted the British government to penalize the Russian oligarch.

Jeff Oakley, a Chelsea supporter since 1969, expressed his hope that the new owners would continue to invest in the team, but he sought more information about their intentions.

"At the end of the day, they're not in here because they love the club, they're in here because they love the money," Oakley stated as he approached the stadium before Chelsea's Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

According to the BBC, Chelsea's new owners have committed not to sell a controlling position until 2032 and have offered promises regarding dividends and debt.

Longtime Chelsea season ticket holder Martin Farrier stated that he would have liked a British owner.

"However, this is due to how the Americans appear to have run Manchester United into the ground," he continued. "I would hate for that to happen here."

The Florida-based Glazer family has owned United since 2005 and has been met with fan anger from the moment they completed their takeover due to the club's inability to match its former dazzling form.

Since Abramovich acquired the London club in 2003, Chelsea has been the most successful club in England. In contrast, the uncertainty surrounding its ownership has corresponded with a recent decline in performance.

In April, Chelsea was eliminated from the Champions League and trailed Premier League leaders Manchester City by a significant margin. Next Saturday, the FA Cup final against Liverpool, is their final opportunity to win a trophy this season.

Ferdinand Weiss, a 22-year-old student from Austria who has supported Chelsea since he was a child, stated that players who have decided to leave the club, such as defender Toni Rudiger, may have stayed if there had been less confusion.

Weiss stated, "It's good to bring some still water into the situation,"

He said there is no ideal answer for a team as large as Chel in the increasingly profitable world of sports businesses regarding the shift in ownership.

"You must choose either oil money or a billionaire from the United States. There is no savior in existence."