Kieran Maguire drops verdict on secret £60m Chelsea talks – ‘brought to them by Abramovich’
It ‘makes a lot of sense’ for Chelsea to plan a long-term front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Riyadh Air.
That is the opinion of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about Chelsea’s search for sponsorship partners this summer.
As reported by The Athletic, Chelsea held a private meeting with representatives of Saudi state airline Riyadh Air to propose a possible front-of-shirt sponsorship deal.
The Blues have already agreed a one-year deal with Infinite Athlete for the 2023/24 season pending approval from the Premier League, but the Londoners are already looking ahead to the 2024/25 campaign.
Riyadh Air are already the front-of-shirt sponsor of Atletico Madrid, but Chelsea are keen to offer them a pathway into Premier League sponsorship after holding talks over a deal worth as much as £60million per season.
Maguire believes a long-term sponsorship deal would be sensible for Chelsea as they look to maximise their revenue streams.
“Chelsea will be looking to maximise the potential of their brand,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“They do have a global fanbase based on the success brought to them by Roman Abramovich’s riches.
“They are currently facing a period of retrenchment now as the strategy of Todd Boehly and Co. slowly begins to unwind.
“It makes sense to try and get a long-term deal for their front-of-shirt sponsorship and therefore perhaps a one-year deal leading into a longer deal with Riyadh Air makes a lot of sense.
“If they have the biggest cheque to offer, I suppose Chelsea will be more than happy to accept it.“
In other news, Chelsea set sights on signing Diarra from club they have special relationship with