CHELSEA have laughed off claims Arsenal stole a multi-million pound sponsor from them.
The Gunners unveiled a partnership with Deel, a payroll and HR platform, and are tipped to make the company their new sleeve sponsor next season to replace the controversial “Visit Rwanda” deal.
And some Arsenal fans alleged Deel had been on the verge of agreeing a lucrative front-of-shirt sponsorship with the Blues before opting for a tie-up with the North Londoners because of their greater global profile.
But Chelsea have dismissed the suggestion out of hand after what appears to be mischief-making by supporters of their London rivals.
Arsenal’s sleeve deal with the Rwanda regime was thought to be worth about £10million a year.
The Blues are in the market for a front-of-shirt agreement worth several times that amount and it seems unlikely Deel had the budget for such a commitment.
Chelsea struck a one-year sleeve deal with Vietnamese firm FPT in October.
But the club is confident of soon announcing a bigger, longer-term sleeve agreement with a different partner in the coming weeks.
And negotiations over a front-of-shirt sponsorship are expected to conclude soon as well.
The online row is sure to fuel the rivalry between Chelsea and Arsenal fans over which is the bigger club.
According to research firm GWI, Chelsea have a global fanbase of 201.7m people, compared to Arsenal’s 178.3m.
The Blues have 147m followers across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube, with Arsenal on 116m.
Chelsea can also point to their two Champions League wins to Arsenal’s none, as well as the exposure they gained by winning the first edition of the revamped Club World Cup a few months ago.
But the Gunners will cite their longer history of success, with 13 English titles to Chelsea’s six and a record 14 FA Cup triumphs compared to the Blues’ eight.
