Chelsea face dramatic sponsorship blow after £40m talks – Keith Wyness
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has suggested Chelsea could now be forced to accept low-ball shirt sponsorship offers after failure on the pitch.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed it will be “so hard” for the Blues to drive their sponsorship figures back up again after a recent lack of success.
Chelsea are yet to announce their front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2024-25 campaign after starting this season without a major sponsor.
In September 2023 – two months into the season – Chelsea struck a £40million per season deal with US-based sports data company Infinite Athlete.
Football Insider revealed on Wednesday (29 May) that the Londoners are in advanced talks to continue that controversial deal into the 2024-25 campaign.
Chelsea set for shirt sponsorship blow
Wyness claimed that the blow of qualifying for the Europa Conference League, not the Champions League, will mean revenues aren’t “anywhere near” their rivals.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It’s a difficult one for Chelsea.
“I’ve been in this situation before, putting the forecast together and thinking you can count on a certain number from a shirt sponsor.
“The problem is when you choose that number, you’re forecasting certain successes on the pitch – and probably for Chelsea, it was Champions League football.
“That means it becomes very hard to find the number you’re looking for when that doesn’t happen.
“It means the club then have to take a lesser deal, and then it becomes so hard to drive the price up again.
“It’s a very hard balancing act.
“Chelsea have got deep pockets and they can wait out this situation to get the amount they’re looking for.
“They’ve set the amount they want, and they’re trying to get it.
“It isn’t easy – I’m afraid the Europa Conference League isn’t anywhere near the level of the Champions League.”
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