Exclusive: Ex-Man City sponsor worth £250bn+ makes Arsenal approach
Arsenal have been approached by several international brands interested in becoming their new sleeve sponsor, sources have told Football Insider.
Visit Rwanda has been Arsenal’s sleeve sponsor since 2018, but that agreement is set to expire at the end of this season.
Football Insider revealed on Friday (10 October) Arsenal are in advanced talks with Visit Rwanda about extending their partnership.
The Gunners’ existing deal with the African country’s tourist board is worth £10million a year, but Mikel Arteta’s side are looking to increase the value of the new contract to between £15-20m annually.
Sports business expert Lukasz Baczek exclusively revealed to Football Insider German software company SAP is one of the parties interested in becoming Arsenal’s new sleeve sponsor.
Arsenal favourite revealed in sponsor battle
Baczek revealed SAP is in the mix to land Arsenal’s sleeve sponsorship after it didn’t extend its partnership with the City Football Group (CFG) – the owners of Manchester City.
The German firm, which has a market cap of more than £250billion, was previously a global sponsor of CFG from 2015 before the deal wasn’t extended earlier this year.
It is believed the interest in Arsenal’s sleeve sponsorship has handed the club an advantage in their negotiations with Visit Rwanda, which remains the favourite to secure the partnership.
The initial deal with the tourist board was signed for three years in 2018 before later being extended in 2021 for a further five years.
Arsenal fans have previously protested against the partnership after Rwanda’s government has been accused of investing in sport to improve its image globally.
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness previously told Football Insider Arsenal should terminate their deal with Visit Rwanda due to its controversial nature.
It is widely known Rwandan president Paul Kagame is a Gunners fan, raising questions around whether the sponsorship deal represents value for his country.
Arsenal want to match Man City after sponsor latest
Visit Rwanda was announced last week as the official international tourism sponsor of the LA Rams, strengthening ties with Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, who also owns the NFL franchise.
The tourist board also agreed a similar deal with NBA franchise the LA Clippers, while it has other partnerships already in place with PSG, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal have been making efforts to improve their commercial revenue over the past few years as they look to close the gap on their top-flight rivals.
Arsenal generated the third-highest revenue in the Premier League in their latest published accounts for 2023-24, with their turnover surging from £467m in 2022-23 to £617m.
Meanwhile, their commercial income increased from £169m to £218m across the same period.
However, Man City currently generate the highest commercial revenue in the Premier League, with their income improving from £341m in 2022-23 to £345m in 2023-24.
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