Chelsea’s revenue in the last financial year was £334.6million, and Chelsea commercial director Chris Townsend has revealed his plans to double the club’s revenue to over £650million – and is eyeing an Arsenal style stadium/shirt dual sponsorship deal.
Townsend, who was appointed as the Chelsea commercial director earlier this year, is looking to keep pace with the club’s higher-earning rivals as Chelsea aim to become one of European football’s ‘super powers’.
“Manchester United, Manchester City and others have anywhere between 50 and 70 [sponsors],” said Mr Townsend, speaking to the Financial Times.
“We plan to focus on more premium brands in a far more limited range of categories.”
Townsend adds that he wants Chelsea, “to be a top four or five club in Europe [by revenues], rather than ranked eighth” in the next 7-10 years.
Chelsea’s main shirt deal with Yokohama Tyre runs until 2020, while Chelsea also make £10m a year from Carabao sponsoring their training kit.
And Townsend said that a new stadium could help drive new deals, such as tying shirt sponsorship with naming rights for the ground – in the same manner as Arsenal and Emirates.