Chelsea announce £40m Infinite Athlete shirt sponsorship deal

Chelsea are playing without a shirt sponsor this season. Photo: Getty Image/Charlotte Wilson

Chelsea finally have a front. The shirt will be sponsored when they take on Fulham on Monday night after the club officially announced a £40 million deal with Infinite Athlete, but it remains unclear when fans will be able to buy the logo shirt.

< p >Telegraph Sport reported on Tuesday evening that Chelsea had received Premier League approval for sports data company Infinite Athlete to take over from Three, whose contract expired at the end of last season.

Chelsea played their first eight games of the season without a shirt sponsor and sold their new kit for this campaign without a logo.

The club have not yet set a date for when fans will be able to buy shirts bearing the Infinite Athlete logo, but the men's team will show it live on television against Fulham after the women play their Women's Super League opener against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. night.

Chelsea's deal with Infinite Athlete, believed to have been negotiated directly by the club's owners, is valued at at least £40 million per season. The partnership is expected to continue beyond this campaign, but may take a new form in the future.

Infinite Athlete only launched in August following Tempus Ex Machina, with whom Chelsea signed a seven-year product partnership. acquired Biocore in April.

Infinite Athlete co-founder Charlie Ebersol said: “We are introducing our new global organization, Infinite Athlete, to the world on the world's premier soccer stage and at the legendary Chelsea Stadium. The FC kit is a great honor and we are thrilled to be able to continue this journey with the best in the world.»

Chelsea's statement announcing the deal added: «Supporters will be able to purchase the FC kit.» The 23/24 and replica Infinite Athlete branded kits will be available in official club stores and selected retailers in the near future.»

Chris Jurasek, Chelsea chief executive, said: «We have a like-minded partner in Endless athlete. The speed at which our relationship has evolved, as well as Infinite Athlete's business, made this an obvious continuation of our partnership.»