Why Chelsea face repeat of blank shirt debacle in fruitless search for new sponsor - explained

The Blues are at risk of having to compete without a sponsor on the front of their shirt - as they did for the first two months of the current campaign - as more issues arise for owner Todd Boehly. Chelsea are yet to find a sponsor for next season after only signing a short-term deal with Infinite Athlete in September 2023.

According to The Times, the London club have missed the deadline for kit manufacturer Nike to include a new brand on their new shirts. This could mean Chelsea repeat their antics from last year and launch their 2024-25 trip without any sponsor. Boehly was left frustrated with the Premier League's decision to assess the potential partnership with Infinite Athlete and could find himself in an identical situation by the end of the summer.

Chelsea's previous deal with phone company Three was worth £40 million ($50m) a season between 2020 and 2023. It was a big stream of income for the Blues who have splashed out majorly since Boehly arrived to replace Roman Abramovich in 2022.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has a lot of work to do over the summer and may have to make some brutal decisions if he is to improve Chelsea's squad. The former Tottenham boss will likely have to cut some of the big names involved at Stamford Bridge, especially if he wants to bring in new faces.