The somewhat unexpected Club World Cup triumph was a boost for this Chelsea team. That being said, the Blues are nowhere near being the best in Europe right now. We saw an example of that this week in their 3-1 loss at the hands of Bayern Munich away at the Allianz Arena. They are making far too many mistakes at the back, and with the exception of Cole Palmer, are not providing enough on the other end of the pitch.
In order to bridge the gap between themselves and teams like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool and the rest, the Blues will need to strengthen the squad further and perhaps bring in some much-needed experience. But before that, they need to figure out their sponsorship situation.
Chelsea played out last season without a front-of-shirt sponsor. Right now, they do not have one, neither on the front nor on the sleeves. How many top level clubs find themselves in this situation?
As reported by Football Insider, Chelsea are looking to agree a £15 million-a-year deal for their sleeve sponsorship. Club chiefs have been in talks with the Haier Group but an agreement is yet to be reached with any interested parties.
Chelsea in talks to agree £15 million deal right now
The lack of sponsors has left a massive hole in Chelsea's pocket. It is believed that they want around £60 million for the front-of-shirt sponsor. So in total, they are missing out on about £75 million per season.
Perhaps nobody is willing to match Chelsea's expectations. And in that scenario, it is about time that they budge rather than sticking to what they want and having nothing at all in the process.
There's another thing worth pointing in this entire situation. The club's chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig has departed recently, rather further questions about how close, or far, Chelsea are to finding new sponsors.
One thing is very clear though, Chelsea need to sort this situation out as soon as possible. It is remarkable that they have not been able to find a steady sponsor since the change in ownership.