Chelsea Starts Fourth Consecutive Season Without Main Shirt Sponsor
Jul 29, 2026, by Chris
- Chelsea's Ongoing Sponsor Drought: Chelsea is beginning its fourth consecutive Premier League season without a permanent primary front-of-shirt sponsor, relying instead on temporary deals since Three's contract expired.
- High Asking Price vs. Performance: The club's commercial team is reportedly seeking £60-65 million per year for a sponsorship deal, a price tag potential partners are hesitant to meet due to Chelsea's inconsistent on-pitch performance.
- Financial Disadvantage: Operating without a primary shirt sponsor puts Chelsea at a significant financial disadvantage under Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules, missing out on substantial annual revenue compared to rival clubs.
Chelsea are once again set to kick off a new season without a primary front-of-shirt sponsor. As the 26-27 Premier League campaign approaches, the Blues find themselves starting a fourth consecutive summer without a permanent partner locked in on their chest, following the launch of their latest home and away kits featuring blank fronts. Huge thanks to LiveScore for the images.
Since telecommunications firm Three's contract expired at the end of the 22-23 season, Chelsea's commercial team under the BlueCo ownership group has struggled to secure a long-term sponsor. The club has relied on a succession of temporary arrangements, including short-term deals with Infinite Athlete during 23-24, Damac for the 2025 UEFA Conference League final against Betis, and Swedish company IFS for the second half of the 25-26 campaign. While these agreements provided interim revenue, none converted into a multi-year main sponsorship.
Chelsea Struggles to Find Main Sponsor Due to Bad Performances & Too High Asking Price
Industry reports suggest Chelsea's commercial executives have long held out for a deal valued between £60 million and £65 million per year, seeking parity with top Premier League partnerships such as Manchester United's contract with Snapdragon. Recently, the club reportedly reduced that number to around £45 million.
From a visual standpoint, many supporters have praised the sponsorless look, enjoying the clean and retro aesthetic of Nike's 26-27 home and away designs. Commercially, however, operating without a primary shirt sponsor leaves Chelsea at a financial disadvantage under Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), missing out on tens of millions in annual revenue compared to rival clubs.
Chelsea 26-27 Home & Away Kits - Sponsor-Free
Do you like that Chelsea has no sponsors and subsequently you get the kits without them? Let us know in the comments below.
Match-Worn Harry Kane Bayern Munich Kit Cut Up for Rare Topps Cards
Trading card manufacturer Topps has revealed a set of four ultra-rare trading cards created by cutting up a match-worn Harry Kane Bayern Munich jersey. Released as part of the 2025-26 Topps Museum Collection UEFA Club Competitions series, the cards take the striker's match-worn nameplate and divide it into four individual one-of-one collectibles.
Each card in the Museum Nameplate Relics subset houses a single letter from Kane's surname: "K", "A", "N", and "E". Embedded in a dedicated display window alongside a photo of Kane in Bayern colors, the fabric swatches highlight the cream-colored knit and deep red lettering from a Bayern kit, marked with official "Match-Worn Memorabilia" certification and UEFA Champions League branding.
While relic cards featuring match-worn gear have been popular in the hobby for years, deconstructing entire match-worn shirts to create cards regularly divides opinions among kit collectors who would rather see historic shirts preserved intact.
For high-end card enthusiasts, however, piecing together all four separate 1/1 cards to rebuild the complete nameplate is set to be one of the rarest pursuits in the collection.
FC Augsburg 26-27 Third Kit Debuted
FC Augsburg debuted their new 26-27 third kit on the pitch during their Bundesliga away match against Werder Bremen. Officially unveiled just days prior by the club and Japanese sportswear brand Mizuno under the name "No. 03 / Unser Drittes", the strip served as the final regular kit release across the entire Bundesliga for the season.
On the pitch, Augsburg completed the look with maroon shorts and matching socks for a streamlined appearance. Subtle detailing finishes off the jersey, including the club's founding year 1907 applied inside the neck and classic FC Augsburg lettering across the upper back.
AJ Auxerre 26-27 Third Kit Released
French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre and technical partner Macron have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 2026-27 season. The new release completes Auxerre's set of match wear for the campaign, following the earlier launches of their retro-inspired home kit and black away strip.
The Macron Auxerre 2026-27 third jersey is predominantly blue and centers around a broad vertical navy stripe running down the middle, framed by two thin white boundary lines. In a centrally aligned setup, both the white Macron Hero and the AJ Auxerre crest are applied in silicone on the navy chest panel. A navy crew neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs feature contrasting white tipping, while "AJ AUXERRE" is embroidered in white on the upper back neck.
Matching blue shorts featuring navy and white edge striping and blue socks with a navy band topped by white trim round off the look.
Special FC Metz Robert Pirès 26-27 Testimonial Kit Released
French club FC Metz and kit supplier Kappa have officially unveiled a limited-edition collector's shirt to celebrate the testimonial match of club icon Robert Pirès, set to take place on October 6, 2026, at the Stade Saint-Symphorien.
The special jersey pays homage to Metz's memorable 1996 kit, the season Les Grenats lifted the Coupe de la Ligue with Pirès playing a central role. Reinterpreting the distinct graphic side motif of that era, the shirt features a rich garnet base paired with an intricate geometric graphic panel running down the side, an elegant white polo collar, and a centrally placed Kappa Omini logo alongside the club's traditional Lorraine cross crest. The back showcases Pirès' famous name and number 7 in a retro font, completed by a commemorative jocktag patch at the hem.
The limited-edition jersey is available for pre-order in strictly limited numbers via Metz's online store. It will be donned on pitch during the testimonial event, which brings together legends from Metz, Arsenal, and the France national team to celebrate the career of the 1998 World Cup winner where his professional journey first began.
Brighton Become First Team to Wear Anniversary Kit in the Premier League in 18 Years
In their recent 3-0 victory over Arsenal, Brighton debuted a special 125th-anniversary kit, making them the first team since Manchester United in 2008 (who marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster) to wear a commemorative jersey in the Premier League.
Clause 13, Section M of the Premier League regulations strictly limits clubs to three registered kits per season, making special exemptions exceptionally rare.
Other kit exemptions over the years have been few and far between: Man City wore a one-off gold sponsor detail on the final day to celebrate their title triumph in the last match of the 20-21 season, while Newcastle had to turn a pre-match tee into an official match kit to fix an emergency kit clash against Brighton in 22-23.
Thanks to our partner @whatthekit_x for the interesting spotted and the collage.
To Never Be Worn: TSV 1860 München 26-27 Oktoberfest Kit Released
The new TSV 1860 München 26-27 Oktoberfest kit has been officially released by Joma through the club's merchandising company. However, mirroring the previously revealed 26-27 home shirt, this special Wiesn design will never be worn in an official match. Following the insolvency of the club's professional division and forced relegation to the Regionalliga Bayern, 1860 München severed ties with Joma and partnered with local Munich supplier Societas for their on-pitch kits.
The Joma 1860 München 26-27 Oktoberfest jersey presents a classic Bavarian aesthetic based on a clean white shirt. Running vertically down the left side beneath the crest is a light blue and white Bavarian rhombus pattern, framed on both sides by delicate floral vine graphics reminiscent of traditional Trachten embroidery. A dark navy V-neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs complete the look, while the inside neck is detailed with Munich's famous "O'zapft is" festival motto. The front displays the traditional embroidered black lion badge with a championship star, accompanied by dark branding from Joma and primary sponsor die Bayerische.