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Chelsea "plans to ramp up sponsorship deals in an effort to double revenues" to more than £650M ($852.4M), "as it looks to keep pace with higher-earning rivals in signing the world’s best footballers," according to Murad Ahmed of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Chelsea Commercial Dir Chris Townsend said that "over the next seven to 10 years" the club wanted "to be a top four or five club in Europe [by revenues], rather than ranked eighth." Townsend said that the London club "planned to increase its number of sponsors" from 12 to between 30 and 35. He said, "Manchester United, Manchester City and others have anywhere between 50 and 70. We plan to focus on more premium brands in a far more limited range of categories." Sports consultancy NC Partnership Founder Nigel Currie described Chelsea's aims as "very ambitious." He said, "When you have Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid -- clubs that have had success at the top of Europe at 30-50 years, those clubs have a head start. But if [Chelsea] continue to be successful on the pitch, then it is achievable" (
FT, 10/4).
