Chelsea to face Liverpool without shirt sponsor
- Chelsea have a sponsorship agreement with Infinite Athlete but have not yet finalised the deal
- Blues could release their new home kit without a sponsor
- Away and third kits yet to be unveiled
By Tom Gott
Chelsea will begin their Premier League campaign without a shirt sponsor after failing to finalise an agreement before Sunday's game against Liverpool.
The Blues are reported to have reached an agreement with Infinite Athlete over a sponsorship deal, with leaks from the club's media day appearing to show the company's logo on the front of Chelsea's home shirt.
However, The Athletic state that a complete agreement has not yet been reached, meaning Chelsea will start their season against Liverpool on Sunday without a shirt sponsor.
Chelsea are due to release their home kit on 16 August and the first batch are expected to be sold without a sponsor.
The away and third kits have both been leaked on social media but have yet to be officially confirmed by Chelsea.
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Chelsea's previous sponsorship deal with telecommunications company Three expired this summer and the Blues had reached an agreement with Paramount+, only for the Premier League to veto the arrangement amid concerns of a conflict of interest among broadcasters.
Talks were later opened with betting organisation Stake, previous sponsors of both Everton and Watford, but reports of discussions were met with fierce opposition from supporters and negotiations were ultimately abandoned.
Chelsea are now reported to have struck a £40m-a-year agreement with technology company Infinite Athlete.
During a recent media day, Chelsea players posed in shirts without a sponsor but eagle-eyed fans spotted images which appear to show the Infinite Athlete logo on the front of the home kit.
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