Chelsea's plans for a new 60,000-capacity home have received a significant boost.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has officially approved plans for the £500m redevelopment of Stamford Bridge and revealed he believes the project will produce "a jewel in London's sporting crown" attracting visitors and fans from around the world.

In a statement released on Monday he said: "I am satisfied this is a high-quality and spectacular design which will significantly increase capacity within the existing site, as well as ensuring fans can have easy access from nearby transport connections."

Planning permission was granted by the local council in January but it was subject to the mayor's approval.

The Premier League leaders said Khan's decision was a significant step towards the new stadium, which currently has a capacity of 41,600, but some hurdles remained.

"Further steps lie ahead, both during and after the planning process, before construction work can commence," Chelsea said on the club website.

Swiss-based architects Herzog and de Meuron are behind the renovation, whose other work includes Bayern Munich's 75,000-seat Allianz Arena and Beijing's "Birds Nest" Olympic Stadium.

Chelsea are set for a brand-new 60,000-seater stadium (Getty)

The current ground dates back to 1877 and has been home to the west London club since 1905.

Chelsea's three main London rivals either have or are building larger stadiums than their previous homes.