Chelsea are in danger of being without shirt sponsors at the start of the Premier League season for the second year in a row, having yet to find a partner.
The partnership with the trio ended after the 2022/23 season and Chelsea did not reach an agreement with Infinite Athlete to take over as shirt sponsor until the end of September. At the time, the Blues had already played eight games in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup wearing a non-sponsored shirt.
It was a one-year deal but, amid confusion in May, it was thought that Infinite Athlete, a sports data technology company, would continue for a second season. The shirts worn by the players during pre-season friendlies featured the Infinite Athlete name, but Chelsea's 2024/25 kits are sold out.
With Infinite Athlete already set to be a sponsor this season, Chelsea will be hoping to find a more lucrative arrangement for the front shirt.
The Sun reports that no new deal has yet been reached and that the club is expected to release Infinite Athlete when the Premier League season begins due to rules that do not allow for a change of sponsor, mid-season, except in certain circumstances. Each club can make a temporary change once in a campaign to promote a charity partner, and financially strapped sponsors can also allow a change, as happened with West Ham United in 2008 and 2015.
Starting the season without sponsors at least gives Chelsea more time to find a new shirt partner. Their 12-month deal with Infinite Athlete last season was worth a reported £40m.
The suggestion is that the failure to win the Champions League, which can only offer the less attractive Conference League as a place for potential brands, hurts the search. Chelsea have not played in Europe's top competition since 2023 and won't play again until at least 2025 due to successive Premier League finishes outside the top four.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are looking for something different as they look to use their famous shirt to make as much money as possible. The shirts the Red Devils wore in Saturday's Community Shield featured Microsoft CoPilot + PCs emblazoned under the number. United will not be allowed to display a sponsor in the Premier League or Europa League according to competition rules, but can use it for WSL, academy, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Conti Cup matches.
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