Chelsea brace for Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham reply to bold new move amid 'ongoing talks'

Chelsea are expected to ruffle a few feathers ahead of the club's 120th anniversary. The West London outfit was founded in March 1905 after Fulham turned down the chance to move into Stamford Bridge – a stadium that .

Before Chelsea claimed the ground, it was almost exclusively used by the London Athletic Club. Nevertheless, the Blues enjoyed a lot of success shortly after forming, .

Chelsea eventually became synonymous with a royal blue strip before the club debuted its crest on a jersey. The Blues first rocked with its iconic blue lion following the arrival of Ted Drake as manager, .

There were a few changes to the badge over the following years – and one crest which proved very popular was . This inspired the badge that Chelsea have donned from 2005 – the club's 100th anniversary.

The lion with the 'CFC' initials emblem has – namely the 50th anniversary FA Cup special edition strip that came out during the 2019/20 campaign. In an effort to continue showcasing the club's history, a bold decision has reportedly been made.

According to the , Chelsea have trademarked a new emblem – a blue lion, like previously, with 'LDN' beneath. The report states that to come up with a 'new visual identity' ahead of its 120th anniversary.

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It's said that sources at Stamford Bridge have insisted that 'this emblem has not been created with changing their current badge in mind', adding 'they would never do that without first consulting fans'. The have outlined that Chelsea's application with the UK Intellectual Property Office was published in the department's journal in August.

This leaves third parties, such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham, for instance, two months to oppose the trademark. In the meantime, Chelsea remain in negotiations over a front-of-shirt sponsor.