Chelsea set to miss out on £50m shirt deal – sources
Chelsea are currently missing out on bringing in an extra £50million a year after failing to secure a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal for next season, sources have told Football Insider.
The west Londoners have so far been unsuccessful in their pursuit of a new shirt deal due to the lack of blue-chip brands prepared to fork out such a significant amount of money.
That means they are at risk of starting next season with no front-of-shirt sponsor for a second successive campaign after their deal with Infinite Athlete has expired.
In September last year – two months into the season – Chelsea struck a £40million per season deal with the US-based sports data company.
But under the agreement, Infinite Athlete is set to transition to a sleeve sponsorship deal for next season, leaving the Premier League giants searching around for a new deal.
Sources have told Football Insider a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal is currently worth between £30-50million annually to Chelsea.
Chelsea to face PSR issues again after heavy spending
The Telegraph has reported Chelsea are currently considering signing up to another short-term deal, similar to the agreement they reached with Infinite Athlete.
The club are believed to be wary about signing a long-term deal while they are not in the Champions League as qualification for European football’s premier competition could lead to a more lucrative deal down the line.
Football Insider revealed in May Chelsea were in advanced talks with Infinite Athlete about extending their front-of-shirt agreement to next season, but those negotiations have so far proven unsuccessful.
Sources have told Football Insider failing to land a new shirt deal would leave a “big gap” in the west Londoners’ commercial revenue for the upcoming campaign.
Chelsea have been toeing the financial fair play (FFP) line for the past couple of seasons after making several big-money signings.
They posted a loss of £90million in the 2022-23 financial year alone, with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) stating top-flight clubs can lose a maximum of £105million over a rolling three-year period.
Finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider Enzo Maresca’s side will face PSR problems again next season due to their extensive operating losses.
In other news, winger could leave Chelsea as talks open over deal.
For more Chelsea news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.