Chelsea are looking for just £25m for a shirt sponsor – and would include the women’s team as part of the package.
As revealed by Mail Sport, the West London club were forced to unveil the new kit on Monday without a commercial partner after failing to secure a deal for the 2023-24 season.
They became the first ‘Big Six’ club to do so after, as we also revealed, the Premier League vetoed a potential deal with international steam service Paramount+.
It is understood that Chelsea, who had been shelling out £40m a year from their three previous sponsors, were looking for around £60m, but were left in doubt when told by senior aviation directors that such a contract would be out of the competition’s licensing deed. Which is an agreement between the clubs and the league.
Stamford Bridge officials then became involved in talks with gambling company Stake over a deal that would have been worth around £40m, but they walked out of the negotiations feeling it would not be suitable for the club amid a backlash from fan groups.
Chelsea are asking just £25m for brands to sponsor their new kits for the season
They were hoping to recoup £60m but would settle for less than half the original asking price
They had negotiations with betting company Stake but pulled out of the deal after fan backlash
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The Premier League will ban betting companies from advertising on shirt fronts from the 2026-27 season.
With the clock ticking, Chelsea enlisted the services of the Creative Artists Agency to assist in the search.
Mail Sport understands that a group of major companies have been approached to offer to sponsor the men’s and women’s side for a reduced price of £25m.
The West London side was sponsored by communications brand Three until the end of last season
This number is a fraction of what many of their competitors command. Manchester City get around £67m from the overall package with Etihad, United receive £47m from their agreement with Team Viewer, Liverpool’s deal with Standard Charter is believed to be £50m a year, while Tottenham get £40m from aia.
Chelsea have been looking for a new sponsor since Three decided not to renew following the sanctions imposed on former owner Roman Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The inclusion of the club’s women’s team could be an indication of the need for a quick deal. Under manager Emma Hayes, they have won the Premier League title four years in a row and the FA Cup for the past three seasons in a row.
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