Monday's Chelsea kit launch will see them unveil a shirt without a sponsor, it has been claimed, with no new deal reached.
Telecommunications company Three served as the Blues' front-of-shirt sponsor for the last three seasons, having taken over from Yokohama Tyres. A renewal was not agreed, though, and Chelsea still haven't reached an agreement with a successor despite talks having got underway.
Betting brand Stake.com had emerged as a contender, but nothing has materialised, while efforts to reach a deal with Paramount Plus were blocked. Still, the club is said to be hopeful of getting a deal in place before they kick off their first Premier League season under Mauricio Pochettino.
According to The Mail, Chelsea's higher-ups have agreed to launch the new shirt before a sponsor announcement, in order to avoid further delays. The timing, it is claimed, will allow fans to pre-order the shirt and have it arrive as close as possible to the start of the new season.
A number of Chelsea fans voiced their displeasure with the prospect of Stake adorning the front of the shirts. Any deal would have been a relatively short-term one, with gambling sponsors to be outlawed in the Premier League from 2026, but the Blues are understood to have stepped away from the deal regardless.
Conversations with other potential sponsors are said to be ongoing. Previous sponsors three paused their deal after sanctions were brought against former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, but their logo ended up remaining in place for the 2022-23 season.
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The news comes at the end of new manager Pochettino's first week in charge at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine has taken his first training sessions and spoken to the media about what brought him to Chelsea.
"It was a nice conversation from the beginning," Pochettino said. 2They [the sporting directors] were very honest with me. They showed the plan, showed everything, the good, the not-so-good, and what needed to happen before 1 July and then after 1 July.
"I listened to them and then spoke with the owners in a really good way. They are clever people and in football, it’s always about being clever and learning from past experiences.
"I feel good. I am not a person or coach that needs to ask for power. I don’t need in my contract a clause that says I do this and this.
"The most important is that I need to show them, the players and the fans, that they can trust in my decision, that they can trust in the way we’re going to operate and take decisions. When we analyse and judge all the situations, they need to really believe and that is my job."
