Chelsea Elevate Partner in Sleeve Deal; Front-of-Shirt Talks Ongoing

Chelsea has elevated the status of their existing agreement with FPT to make them a shirt sleeve sponsor. FPT, a Vietnamese-based tech firm, has been working with the Premier League giants since April as a global partner, but their current arrangement has now been expanded.

The deal, which is thought to be worth £15 million, will see FPT features on the sleeves of the men’s, women’s, and academy kits. FPT, who are now a principal partner, will be present on the shirt sleeves for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

Moreover, the partnership was orchestrated by Chelsea’s president and chief operating officer, Jason Gannon, and Todd Kline, the new commercial president. Both remain heavily involved in the process of trying to secure a front-of-shirt sponsorship for the current season.

Chelsea closing in on its rivals

The importance of the FPT sleeve sponsorship shouldn’t be understated. The quoted £15m figure puts it on a level footing with Liverpool’s £15m-per-year deal with Expedia, while Arsenal currently receive around £10m a year from their deal with Visit Rwanda.

However, the FPT arrangement with Chelsea dips below that of Manchester United. Their current agreement with DXC Technology sees the Red Devils pocket around £20m.

An exciting new chapter awaits

Chelsea has made progress under FPT, and their six-month collaboration has seen FPT solutions embedded across the club to drive efficiency. In transforming digital capabilities, it has also helped to drive fan engagement, and Kline was quick to hail the significance of the elevated partnership.

In a club statement, he said: “We’ve made huge strides together and we are excited for the next chapter, one that will see Chelsea’s global platform amplify FPT’s unique capabilities, expertise and spirit from Vietnam to enterprises around the world.

“AI is transforming industries, and football is no exception. With our global pipeline of young, energetic, and digital talents, FPT is proud to deliver next-level, AI-first transformation for Chelsea, which accelerates innovation as well as driving performance, fan experience, and community impact.”

Front-of-shirt sponsorship is a sticking point

In terms of the picture of Chelsea’s front-of-sponsorship, well, this has been a bit of a moot point. Although they are supposedly confident of striking a deal soon, there hasn’t been much movement on that front.

Chelsea have been without a long-term partner since their £40m-per-year deal with the mobile phone company Three expired at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Although Saudi airline Riyadh Air were in the frame, former chief revenue officer, Casper Stylsvig tried to bring more offers to the table before departing the West London outfit.

The Blues have been direct about what they are looking for. Indeed, they are targeting a £60m-a-year deal to reflect their status as Club World Cup winners as well as returning to the Champions League this season.

Taking a quick hit for long-term gains

Over the past few months, there have been changes in Chelsea’s hierarchy, particularly at board level. While the club’s commercial team have dug their heels in over a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal, they have clear intentions about the direction they want to take the club.

It seems Chelsea is prepared to take a quick hit on the front-of-shirt sponsorship front. However, all those connected with the club will be hoping that talks don’t drag on for too much longer.