Sunderland no longer expecting Visit Ghana shirt deal to proceed | OneFootball

Sunderland do not expect a proposed front-of-shirt sponsorship with Visit Ghana to go ahead after six months of talks. The Premier League club have started the 2026/27 season without a main shirt sponsor.

W88 was unveiled as principal partner in summer 2025, a deal the club called the most significant in its history. That agreement was halted following new rules preventing Premier League sides from carrying gambling-linked sponsors.

"We have held positive discussions with Visit Ghana and the Government of Ghana over the past six months regarding a proposed front-of-shirt partnership. Our ongoing discussions had resulted in an agreement being reached, with government representatives involved in the proposed partnership even announcing the deal publicly."

The remarks were given to The Athletic.

"Since that point, however, we have not received the formal approval from the Government of Ghana required to proceed, and communication and engagement has slowed significantly. Given the lack of approval and clarity on the Government's position, we are now working on the basis that the proposed partnership will not proceed."

The likely collapse leaves Sunderland as the only Premier League side without a front-of-shirt sponsor this season, with European football returning to Wearside on Wednesday for the first time in half a century.

A sleeve sponsorship with Shuffle, a crypto casino without a UK operating licence, was announced on Friday. With Europa League participation bringing a 70 percent squad cost cap tied to revenues, maximising commercial income remains important.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”