Chelsea’s new home kit has been released without a front-of-shirt sponsor and the club has warned fans it won’t even be available to buy until after the season starts.
The Blues dropped official photos of several stars – both former and present – posing in their new jerseys for the upcoming season on Monday morning.
Alongside the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Reece James were Champions League-winning manager Roberto Di Matteo and Dennis Wise.
Mail Sport exclusively reported that they had failed to attract an appropriate commercial partner, becoming the first time a Big Six club to have no sponsor on the front of their shirt upon launch.
But in the club’s unveiling Chelsea insisted that, while they’ve still been unable to strike a deal with a sponsor, this may change prior to the start of the season – which is just under five weeks away.
A Chelsea statement read: ‘Fans should be aware that the 2023/24 home kit that features on pitch may subsequently feature a front-of-shirt partner. The club will communicate any changes to the kit in due course.’
Chelsea’s agreement with telecoms giants Three – which saw them earn £40million-a-year – expired at the end of last season.
Reports now suggest that the club should expect less in a new agreement, nearer the £25m-a-year mark.
The Blues had seemingly twice identified a partner with Paramount+ and betting company Stake both linked.
However, a deal with the former was blocked by the Premier League as it was thought to potentially upset TV rights holders for the division.
The international streaming service does not broadcast Premier League matches in the UK, and would not be permitted under the Deed of License, which is the contract between clubs and Premier League.
