Following their summer transfer spending Chelsea have already begun the process of bringing more money into the club by agreeing a renewal of their existing shirt sponsorship deal with Samsung - at improved terms believed to be in the region of £18 million a season.
However, the news will be greeted with mixed feelings amongst supporters of the club as the figures involved are considerably lower than those announced by Manchester United as part of their new shirt sponsorship deal with General Motors.
That deal, which begins in 2014, is said to be worth up to £50 million each season to the Old Trafford club, which may make some Chelsea fans question the terms of this renewed deal.
A spokesman for the Stamford Bridge club said:
Samsung have exercised their right to extend their deal which will see them remain as a premium partner of the club until the end of May 2015.”
However, it is hard to not suspect that, should the club continue to perform at the same level between now and that date, Chelsea will not be looking for a new shirt sponsor offering considerably better financial terms in line with those that Manchester United have secured when the present deal comes to an end.
The announcement comes in the wake of big spending by the club, both in the summer and in the previous couple of years, which have seen the arrival of top players like Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres, and further suggests that owner Roman Abramovich’s enthusiasm for the club has been revived.
Already the odds at the online casino sites like riverbellecasino and sports bet sites on Chelsea being serious contenders for the Premier League title have been lowered as the club has made an impressive start to the new season – particularly in comparison to the stuttering starts of both Manchester clubs.