Liverpool have reached a record-breaking agreement to have Turkish Airlines take over as their front-of-shirt sponsor, reportedly becoming the most lucrative deal of its kind in history.
Liverpool were also the first English professional club to have a sponsor logo on their shirts, with Hitachi in 1979, shortly after an FA ban was lifted to allow clubs to display commercial sponsorship.
Almost five decades later, the Reds have announced Turkish Airlines as the sponsor of their future kits in a staggering £60 million-a-year deal, ending their 17-year partnership with Standard Chartered and seemingly breaking the previous Premier League shirt sponsorship record.
With that being said, Striver.Football rank the eight most lucrative shirt deals in English top-flight history and judge how each sponsorship felt beyond the hefty sums involved.
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8. Tottenham Hotspur and AIA (£40m a season)
Tottenham have had insurance firm AIA as their front-of-shirt sponsor since 2013, with a sizeable yearly figure of around £40 million, especially considering the North London club’s other avenues of income through concerts, merchandise and other sporting events.
Stylistically, the simple lettering of the firm’s logo has become synonymous with Spurs throughout their partnership, remaining simple yet sleek aside from the controversial but now familiar red colour on Tottenham’s home shirts.
However, amid the club’s recent struggles, some might argue that Spurs could be due a change to help usher in a new era. For now, though, AIA continue to provide a solid deal.
7. Arsenal and Emirates (£50m a season*)
*Includes stadium naming rights
Turning attention to the red side of North London, Arsenal have similarly held a strong partnership with UAE-based airline company Emirates since 2006, making it the longest-running deal of its kind in Premier League history. The agreement was recently extended until 2033.
The reported current figure of £50 million per year is an approximation, as the additional stadium naming rights make it difficult to determine the exact value of the shirt sponsorship alone. Regardless, the relationship remains a significant one.
With slight variations to the branding over the years, from “Fly Emirates” to “Emirates - Fly Better” and, for the forthcoming 2027/28 season, simply “Emirates”, the partnership has remained visually suitable and is now attached to an Arsenal shirt following their title-winning season.
=4. Manchester United and Chevrolet (£50m a season)
The first former sponsor on the list, Manchester United partnered with US car brand Chevrolet between 2014 and 2021, with the latter reportedly paying £50 million per season, taking over from insurance company Aon.
The deal was surrounded by controversy, with several senior figures at Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors, reportedly losing their jobs after the agreement was struck in 2012. Elements of the deal were reportedly criticised as financially inflated and poorly researched, before it was reworked.
Nevertheless, the partnership lasted its full seven-year contract during a turbulent period at Old Trafford. The Chevrolet logo also divided opinion, with the large gold emblem proving divisive among United fans.
=4. Liverpool and Standard Chartered (£50m a season)
As outlined above, Liverpool’s new deal with Turkish Airlines will end one of the longest sponsorships in Premier League history between the Reds and British banking firm Standard Chartered, although the company will remain a global partner of the club.
Despite years of Liverpool shirts, Standard Chartered’s text and swirl logo has remained almost unchanged, providing a smart and recognisable element to the kits even alongside an already hefty sponsorship fee.
=4. Chelsea and USDC (£50m a season)
Chelsea’s front-of-shirt sponsor has been an unusual topic of debate, with the club going through repeated periods without a sponsor over the last four seasons before accepting short-term deals from Dubai property developer DAMAC, industrial AI company IFS and sports technology brand Infinite Athlete.
The next in line is now USDC, a cryptocurrency created by Circle, in a reported one-year deal worth around £50 million, with the agreement only finalised weeks into the season.
Where Chelsea once had recognisable brands such as Samsung, Coors, Emirates and Three, they have now turned to less familiar brands in a series of short-term deals.
USDC’s branding is also relatively understated, with the simple text offering little visually compared to previous sponsors.
3. Manchester City and Etihad (£70m a season*)
*Includes stadium and training campus naming rights
Another UAE airline with a major sponsorship agreement, Manchester City have had a long-standing partnership with Etihad since 2009, which currently sits at a reported £70 million per season, although the exact figure and nature of the front-of-shirt sponsorship remain unclear.
Controversially, Etihad is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, while City are owned by Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group.
The club have faced allegations that the value of the deal was artificially inflated, with sponsorship arrangements also featuring in the Premier League’s financial charges against Manchester City.
Regardless, the airline remains front and centre of the club’s branding and shirts, becoming synonymous with their controversial yet meteoric rise to one of English football’s dominant forces. Furthermore, its unchanged logo has always looked elegant.
=1. Manchester United and Snapdragon (£60m a season)
Throwing a potential spanner in the works of Liverpool’s reported record-breaking deal, Manchester United’s current agreement with US technology brand Snapdragon, owned by parent company Qualcomm, is also estimated to be worth around £60 million per season.
First appearing on the Red Devils’ shirts in 2024, the S-shaped dragon logo on a white ball offers a sleek but not overly eye-catching design, if you can look past the slightly odd naming just below.
Regardless, the sponsorship is an incredibly high-value deal that currently runs until 2029, and may unknowingly still hold onto its record when initially set in 2024.
=1. Liverpool and Turkish Airlines (£60m a season)
With exact sponsorship figures somewhat masked by elite clubs due to financial scrutiny, it isn’t possible to directly compare the deal with Manchester United’s Snapdragon agreement.
However, the Reds believe their deal with the airline will now be the most lucrative in Premier League history.
Liverpool Chief Commercial Officer Ben Latty said the partnership will build on “strong foundations” from the Reds’ momentous Champions League win in Istanbul in 2005, with the five-year deal covering the men’s, women’s and academy shirts for a reported £300 million.
Despite Liverpool being the first English professional club to have a shirt sponsor, Turkish Airlines will only be their sixth front-of-shirt sponsor, with each traditionally enjoying a lengthy and fruitful partnership.
