Chelsea are sponsorless in the opening weeks of the season (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea’s home, away and third kits for the 2023/24 season have gone down well with fans, but there is one glaring omission from the designs – the fronts of the shirts do not have a sponsor.
This has seen the Blues become the first so-called ‘Big Six’ team in Premier League history to have a shirt without a main sponsor.
Chelsea’s previous sponsorship agreement with telecommunication company Three, worth £40 million a year, ended in the summer and the club have been on the lookout for a new partner ever since.
So, why exactly don’t Chelsea have a sponsor on the front of their shirts?
Here is everything you need to know.
Why doesn’t Chelsea’s kit have a sponsor?
Chelsea find themselves in this situation because several sponsorship deals have fallen through in recent months.
Chelsea have struggled to find a sponsor (Picture: Getty)
Firstly, a financially lucrative deal with Paramount+ collapsed in June after the Premier League refused the club permission to get it over the line.
This was over fears that a deal with the American streaming service would upset the competition’s existing broadcast partners and break Premier League rules.
Negotiations were at an advanced stage and club insiders were surprised that the deal was stopped given Paramount+ is not a direct rival of Sky Sports and BT Sport.
Chelsea then turned their attention to online casino Stake and a one-year deal had been agreed.
However, this prompted a furious backlash from fans who were uneasy about having a gambling company on the front of their kit.
Chelsea have also reportedly seen negotiations with an unnamed cryptocurrency company break down whilst they are also believed to have turned down an offer from Allianz.
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So with the Premier League giants unable to strike an agreement over a new front of shirt sponsor, the club decided to launch their new kit regardless.
But according to reports, Chelsea have finally agreed a shirt sponsorship deal with American technology giants Infinite Athlete, thought to be worth at least £40m a year, which could be announced imminently.
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