Arsenal mega deal was 'not hijacked' from Chelsea after huge £80m decision

Arsenal were claimed to have 'hijacked' a deal for a sleeve sponsorship over their rivals, Chelsea, but it seems as though that may not have been the case in the end

While clubs continue to do battle on the pitch, it's their challenges off it that give them the ability to compete head-to-head. Recent years have seen Premier League clubs do everything they can to maximise revenues, from building new stadiums and facilities to finding routes for new sponsorships.

Given that Arsenal and Chelsea both want to battle it out for the biggest trophies, their ability to spend in the market is dictated by how much they can make - especially in the PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) era. That will become even more important in the SCR (Squad Cost Ratio) era, which will be ushered in soon, which determines how much can be spent by clubs as a percentage of their income.

That means squeezing every last drop out of potential revenue streams to free up that ability to spend, which includes sponsorships. Arsenal recently announced a deal with HR platform Deel to become their sleeve sponsor, replacing the previous sponsors, Visit Rwanda.

The old sponsorship was worth £10m-per-year for the Gunners and lasted for eight years, though it was a deal mired in controversy and protest. Now, with that change to Deel from next season, there were reports that the move from Arsenal was actually hijacked from rivals Chelsea.

However, according to a former football chief executive, Keith Wyness, the move was not hijacked by the Gunners, but rather a face-off between the two sides. He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: "Yeah, look, I did check with one of my contacts and no, the rumour was that this was going to be front of shirt for Chelsea, and no way was the budget there for them to do that.

“I think they were comparing potential sleeve sponsorship deals at Chelsea and Arsenal, and whatever the presentations were, Arsenal won the day. I don’t think there was anything hijacked. I think it was just a straight commercial shootout. But, you know, some sponsors do want to go and shop the market.

“I know when I’ve been in that position, I’ve often had clubs looking at three or four other potential candidates, and that’s where you’ve got to be creative and do the best deal. And it seems the Arsenal team have offered some extras that have won the day.”

In the end, Arsenal won out on the deal to land Deel, ahead of some huge changes in the world of both sponsorship and football finance. As mentioned previously, the impending change from PSR to SCR is set to have an impact on the Premier League and how the clubs operate.

Then there is a change to the front of shirt sponsors, as Premier League clubs will be banned from using gambling companies on them from next season. That switch only applies to the front of the shirt, which means there could be some lucrative deals available for sleeve sponsors in the gambling space over the summer.

Chelsea will be keen to sort out their own sponsorship situation in the coming months, as question marks still remain over their deals. The Blues don't currently have a front-of-shirt sponsor, despite having one for the Club World Cup with Dubai-based luxury real estate company Damac.

It points toward a potential lost revenue stream for now, though the club are looking to close in on a deal in the coming weeks. That could help them go stronger in the market, having already perfected the transfer window with the way they trade players back and forth.

As for Arsenal, their consistent appearances in the Champions League and competing for the top trophies means they have been stable in growing their commercial revenue, and continue to do so after the new deal with Deel.