Chelsea’s new sponsorship deal ‘worries’ top source as details emerge

Chelsea will not be getting real value out of their Circle sponsorship after they only signed a one-year deal.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that both parties will struggle to get an understanding of each other when there is no guaranteed longevity. 

Last week, the Blues announced that Circle had become their principal partner and their official front-of-shirt partner beginning with the 2026-27 season.

This comes after Chelsea have started the last four consecutive campaigns without a shirt sponsor following Three’s departure.

However, the new agreement with Circle appears to be far from long-term, with the deal set to expire at the end of the current season.

Wyness believes this is a concern, with Chelsea potentially missing out on the benefits of a long-term sponsorship deal.

Chelsea only agree one-year deal with Circle

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Chelsea are making a mistake by only agreeing a one-year sponsorship deal.

The former boardroom man points towards how well Arsenal’s deal with Emirates has worked out, with the two being partners since 2006.

Speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained the downsides of not striking a long-term sponsorship.

He said: “Well, it's good they've got something on the shirt at last. They've had this strategy that has cost them a lot of money, waiting to try and maintain that price. And we've both discussed this numerous times. Is this the right strategy for clubs to do or not?

“What worries me, though, is it's a one-year deal. It's just a bridge for Chelsea right now. It isn't a four-year deal. 

“We talked about Emirates; there is something about having longevity, about understanding a sponsor, working together, getting your teams to know each other, working together and getting real value out of your sponsorship that takes more than one year.”

Who are Circle?

On Chelsea’s shirt, Circle have put their cryptocurrency USDC on the front.

This is a digital stablecoin, operating as a bridge between banking systems and digital assets.

Circle is best known for issuing USDC as they look to make a name for themselves in England.

However, it remains to be seen if this sponsorship will be a success at Chelsea this season.