Chelsea sources respond to rumours about nearing front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement | OneFootball

Chelsea have yet to agree a deal for a front-of-shirt sponsorship despite recent rumours about a near agreement with a technology company, according to reports.

The Blues recently agreed a shirt sleeve sponsorship deal with one of its established partners, FPT, a Vietnam-based technology solutions provider, on a short-term basis.

There remain questions about Chelsea's search for front-of-shirt sponsors, which would be worth more than the one with FPT.

There have been rumours that Chelsea were close to signing a deal with Oracle, an American multinational technology company, on a similarly short-term basis until the end of the current season.

However, according to BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea remain in negotiations with several possible partners for a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal.

"There have been rumours about Oracle becoming Chelsea's main sponsor," the journalist acknowledged.

"However, official sources still say it is an open, ongoing process involving multiple potential partners.

"Oracle is certainly the type of company Chelsea would like to work with -- a strong, blue-chip brand -- but only on a long-term basis and at around £55m per season.

"For now, all I can say is that the process remains ongoing, and it is still unclear when the club will announce a deal."

IMAGO / Sebastian Frej

In an earlier report from The Athletic, Chelsea's president of commercial, Todd Kline, and president and chief operating officer, Jason Gannon, are said to be the two people leading the negotiations over sponsorships.

The last front-of-shirt sponsorship deal Chelsea had was with Dubai-based property company Damac, and it was for a mere seven-game agreement.

Prior to that, Chelsea had a £40m-plus deal with Infinite Athlete for the 2023/24 season.

One thing for sure is that the longer Chelsea are without a main sponsor, the more they are at a disadvantage revenue-wise compared to competitors.