As reigning Club World Cup champions, Chelsea have started the 2025-26 season as the only Premier League side without a main shirt sponsor. Nottingham Forest recently finalised a deal with American betting company Bally’s, leaving the Blues as the sole top-flight club yet to unveil a front-of-shirt partner.
However, Chelsea’s lack of sponsorship is not due to a lack of interest. According to the BBC, the club have received multiple offers but are prioritising long-term partnerships over short-term gain.
The Blues are reportedly seeking a deal worth around £65m per season, following their qualification for the Champions League and triumph at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup earlier this summer. Among the companies rumoured to be in talks is Saudi Arabian airline Riyadh Air.
Chelsea's recent sponsorship struggles
Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze on August 17, 2025
This is not the first time Chelsea have begun a campaign without a shirt sponsor. In 2023-24, the west London club also started the season without a main partner before eventually agreeing a deal worth over £40m with US-based sports technology company Infinite Athlete.
That agreement came after a period during which Dubai-based property developer Damac had been briefly linked with the club, but only featured as a sponsor during the second half of that season.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi in action against Chelsea on August 17, 2025
The number of Premier League clubs with gambling sponsors increased to 11 in 2024-25, up from eight the previous campaign. However, the landscape is changing.
In 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling sponsors from the front of their shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season. The decision came following consultations between clubs, the league, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), as part of a broader review of gambling legislation in the UK.
From 2026-27 onwards, gambling companies will only be allowed to appear on shirt sleeves, not as principal sponsors.
Currently, none of the Premier League’s so-called “Big Six” — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur — have betting brands displayed on the front of their kits.
Another consequence of the current rules is that players under the age of 18 are not allowed to wear kits with gambling logos. As a result, academy players from clubs with betting sponsors appear in sponsorless shirts during official matches.
Manchester City announce record Puma deal
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring on August 16, 2025
While Chelsea continue their search for a suitable front-of-shirt sponsor, Manchester City have extended their partnership with German sportswear brand Puma.
The new agreement, which runs until the end of the 2034-35 season, is believed to be the most lucrative kit deal in Premier League history.
City will reportedly receive £100m per season, totalling over £1bn across the ten-year contract. The deal extends the existing partnership, which began in 2019-20.
In a statement, Manchester City said:
"This collaboration has driven groundbreaking innovation, cultural moments, and commercial success both on and off the pitch. This is a partnership built on shared values."
The club also noted that the partnership has delivered record-breaking kit sales and "industry-leading" innovations in design and marketing.
This article was originally published on Trivela.
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