Chelsea have started the new season without a sponsor on the front of their shirt for the third consecutive campaign.
It has become a common theme since Todd Boehly took over the club that a brand has not been present on their kits, seeing the Blues miss out on a large stream of revenue.
Chelsea briefly sported ‘DAMAC’ on their shirt for the last few games of the 2024/25 season, however they have not remained there for the new campaign.
It was believed Chelsea were in a very strong bargaining position following their return to the Champions League and victory in the illustrious Club World Cup.
Why Chelsea don’t currently have a front of shirt sponsor
However, up to now there has been no movement, and Kieran Maguire has stated that there is a gap in valuation between the Blues and potential sponsors over how much they should be paid for the service.
He said: “Like many other disputes in football, it all comes down to price and perception of value.
“The price that Chelsea have been quoting to sponsors has been one where that everybody else has walked out the door. It’s a bit like Spurs and the naming rights for White Hart Lane as it is known amongst football fans or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as it is known to the media.
“It’s a case of just getting that deal to get both parties. Chelsea fervently believe that having won the Premier League in 2016 and therefore becoming the world champions in 2025 that the value of the club is significantly higher than what would appear to be the case from a from an advertiser’s perspective.
“They do have a global fan base. they are very strong in certain markets around the world but it doesn’t necessarily tie in where the sponsors want them to be strong from an eyeballs point of view and also from a from a spend in terms of fans point of view and you can’t get those two parties to agree.
“So, you know, we had the strange deal a couple of years ago with Infinite Athlete, which was certainly lucrative for Chelsea, but that kicked in after the start of the season. Nothing last season until the last couple of games and nothing this season.”
Given the fact Chelsea make less from their home games at Stamford Bridge compared to other big six clubs, they are being hurt without the revenue which would come from a front of shirt sponsorship.
Lack of sponsor hurting Chelsea badly
Maguire continued to say that the Blues’ lavish transfer market work is a result of them falling behind their rivals when it comes to other revenue.
He said: “Yeah, it’s great if, you know, for fans that don’t like logos on the front of their shirts, it’s absolutely wonderful. But when you’ve got Manchester United getting 70 million pounds a year from Snapdragon, when you’ve got Liverpool with a with a really good deal with Standard Chartered, you know, Spurs are probably on, you know, 40ish with with their sponsors and so on.
“It does it does create a bit of a gap. You add to that the fact that Chelsea get lower match day receipts and it means that they have to overwork in my view as far as the transfer market is concerned in order to be competitive.”
Chelsea made the most money ever seen in a single transfer window over the summer, as they continued to conduct player trading on an outlandish level.
Chelsea were sanctioned by UEFA earlier this year, meaning they had to make significant money in order to register their new signings for the Champions League.
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