Sunderland's 'stark' sponsorship situation laid bare by Stefan Borson

Sunderland have been left in an extremely difficult situation following the Premier League's new regulation on gambling sponsors.

That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that the Black Cats could miss out on as much as £8million this season.

Regis Le Bris' side are one of a few Premier League teams now left without a front-of-shirt sponsor, joining Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

Aston Villa and Newcastle United were part of that group until recently, both agreeing to deals worth less than expected due to the desperation of needing a sponsor.

Of course, gambling sponsors are still allowed on sleeves and training kits, with Manchester United agreeing a record deal with Betway earlier this week.

That is believed to be worth £20m, a most expensive training kit deal in world football, while Sunderland continue to struggle in their search for a sponsor.

Sunderland will lose' £8million' without a sponsor

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson revealed exactly how much the Black Cats are missing out on, while clubs around them roll in money.

"I think it's more stark when you ask, what would it cost to get [sponsor] Sunderland for the entire season?" he said.

"You could get Sunderland; it's a bit late now, the problem being that the shirts have been printed and sold generally. But you could get Sunderland for, let's say, £7m or £8m for the season.

"Now, if you're a brand, what would you rather have? The problem is that the betting sponsors can't have front-of-shirt. So you're not really comparing like with like.

"They've got to find another way. They've either got to go for the sleeve or they've got to go for the training kit or they've got to decide on a different direction entirely.

"And, not most, but some of them have chosen to go with the training kit, but put some heavy provisioning in there that demands that the clubs use the training kit."

Who could Sunderland bring in as a sponsor?

It is understood, and recently confirmed by the Speaker in Ghanaian Parliament, that the Black Cats are in talks with Visit Ghana.

Keith Wyness told Football Insider that the deal could be worth as much as £10m-a-year, but no deal has yet been announced by the club.

The closer the new season gets, the more impatient and nervous fans become that Sunderland won't be able to get a deal across the line.

Until it is officially announced, the Black Cats will have to work on that basis that they'll be missing out on millions of pounds, with no front-of-shirt sponsor.