Chelsea is currently engaged in negotiations for a shirt sponsorship deal with an online casino and gambling company called Stake, which is regarded as an unappealing option.

This move is being pursued just before it would be deemed against Premier League regulations, indicating a last-minute scramble and desperation on Chelsea's part.

It seems that the club is exploring alternative options due to their primary choice already being in violation of Premier League rules.

Reports, including one from The Athletic, suggest that Chelsea sought to secure a deal with Paramount Plus, a US-based streaming service.

However, they were denied permission to proceed with the agreement, and the details of the deal remain undisclosed.

Paramount Plus had recently sponsored Inter Milan for the last two matches of the previous season, following payment issues with their previous sponsor.

While Paramount Plus holds broadcasting rights for the Champions League and Serie A in the United States, they have no direct involvement with the Premier League.

However, as they also broadcast the Premier League in Mexico and Central America, a conflict of interest arises with other broadcasters in those regions.

This conflict, particularly with NBC, the current rights holder of the Premier League in the US, violates the Premier League's "Deed of License" or a similar agreement.

Chelsea's pursuit of various sponsorship options and the subsequent challenges they face in complying with Premier League regulations highlight the club's consistent struggle to secure a suitable partnership.

Oopsies!

So this is a mess either way, and (yet again) not exactly a great look for the supposed business-savvy of our new owners.