Exclusive: Chelsea hit by new sponsor blow after talks stall
Chelsea’s talks over a new sleeve sponsorship deal appear to have stalled after a senior figure’s exit has been confirmed at Stamford Bridge, sources have told Football Insider.
Football Insider revealed on Friday (19 September) Chelsea are looking to agree a £15million-a-year deal after starting the new season without a sleeve sponsor.
However, Chelsea have been hit by a new sponsorship blow following the departure of chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig.
Sports business expert Lukasz Baczek exclusively revealed to Football Insider Stylsvig’s exit doesn’t inspire optimism about Enzo Maresca’s side receiving their valuation for a new sleeve partnership.
Chelsea have been in talks with the Haier Group – a Chinese manufacturing company – but it appears the negotiations have now stalled between the two parties.
How much was Chelsea’s previous sleeve sponsor deal worth?
Chelsea agreed a deal worth up to £8m in the summer of 2024 for Fever’s logo to appear on the club’s sleeves last season before the deal was terminated last December due to the company’s financial issues.
Live Nation then agreed to replace Fever as the sleeve sponsor, but the partnership didn’t continue beyond this summer’s Club World Cup, leaving the Blues searching for another deal.
The London giants have faced various sponsorship issues over the past couple of years as they also continue to play without a front-of-shirt sponsor.
Chelsea are looking to agree a £60m deal for their front of shirt after holding talks with various interested parties.
However, a deal is yet to materialise as Maresca’s side prepare to take on Manchester United in their sixth game of the new season in all competitions this weekend.
Chelsea’s last major front-of-shirt deal came in the 2023-24 campaign when Infinite Athlete agreed to pay £40m for a single season.
The club announced a short-term deal in April for DAMAC to appear on the front of their shirts for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, but it was never the intention for the partnership to be extended into this season.
How much revenue do Chelsea generate?
The lack of a front of shirt or sleeve partner will create a hole in Chelsea’s accounts for this season, with those two elements making up a significant portion of their overall revenue.
The Blues’ revenue fell from £512m in 2022-23 to £468m in 2023-24 due to their lack of European football in that season.
However, their commercial revenue increased from £210m to £225m across the same period.
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