Chelsea shirt sponsor: Blues begin search for new deal to replace Yokohama and keep up with Manchester United
Chelsea are searching for a new shirt sponsor after ending their deal with Yokohama in pursuit of a more lucrative deal to match their rivals.
The Blues will maintain their relationship with the Japanese tyre company, who first sponsored the club in 2015, but the company’s logo will not be the most prominent sponsor on the shirts moving forward.
The initial five-year, £200 million deal signed in 2015 will come to an end.
With Chelsea now expecting to fetch in the region of £50m to approach Manchester United’s Premier League record £53m deal with Chevrolet, while Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham all have deals in the same region as Chelsea’s expiring Yokohama deal.
The Blues are looking remain competitive off the pitch, with Liverpool FC making moves recently by linking up with Nike in a £80m per year deal, which tops the Londoners’ current £60m per year deal.
“We are very pleased to announce our extended partnership with Yokohama. Having been on our shirts for many momentous victories and significant trophies lifted, Yokohama’s brand forms part of our Club’s proud history,” Chelsea’s Commercial Director Chris Townsend said.
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Yokohama around the world, leveraging their significant brand awareness to meet new objectives.”
While President and Chairman of Yokohama Masataka Yamaishi also revealed his satisfaction at extending their relationship in a different capacity.
“Chelsea is a world-class football club and we have been proud of our partnership and presence on the prestigious shirt for the last five years,” Yamaishi said.
“Yokohama and Chelsea have many shared values, including a dedication to high performance and innovation, which has resonated with fans and our customers alike around the world. We’ve shared many successes together so far in our story, and we are pleased to be able to continue building on this with our renewed partnership.”
