In the light of slow-going negotiations with Qatar Airways, FC Barcelona has decided to look for alternatives, according to a report in RAC1, a local radio station with good links to the club.
Barcelona to Sign New Shirt Sponsor
Although the report does not rule out a renewal with current Barcelona kit sponsor Qatar Airways, this outcome is looking less and less likely every day. Instead, the club reportedly is looking for alternatives to the Doha-based airline and has found three unnamed companies which are willing to pay similar amounts to what the club and Qatar Airways initially agreed to.
One interesting detail about the three possible Barcelona shirt sponsors was revealed however. RAC1 claims that all three are based on different continents, America, Europe and Asia, to be specific.
The new deal would rank Barcelona's shirt sponsorship somewhere around the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United who earn more than £40 million a year each.
Highest-valued Sponsorship Deals in European football
| Club | Sponsor | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | Chevrolet | £47m |
| Chelsea | Yokohama Rubber | £40m |
| Arsenal | Emirates | £30m |
| Liverpool | Standard Chartered | £30m |
| Bayern Munich | Deutsche Telekom | £23.6m (€32m) |
| Barcelona | Qatar Airways | £23.4m (€31.8m) |
| Real Madrid | Emirates | £22m (€30m) |
A return to the once famous blank chest or a charitable sponsor like Unicef isn't on the cards, simply because of the hole a loss of the current €31 million a year jersey sponsorship would leave in the club's accounts.
It was also reported that negotiations with Nike are going well and an agreement to extend the current contract with the Swoosh is close. Nike has been Barcelona's shirt producer since the late 1990s and the current deal runs until the end of the 2017-18 season.
What's your guess about the three possible Barcelona shirt sponsors for next season? Let us know in the comments below.