Allianz wants to add Stamford Bridge to their group of football stadiums and is interested in securing a long-term deal with Chelsea.
The German insurance company notably sponsors the homes of Bayern Munich and Juventus, and now has its sights set on making a mark on English football. It's been reported by the Daily Mail that Allianz had been in talks with Chelsea over becoming their principal shirt sponsor from next season.
Recently, the Blues' deal with mobile network Three expired and Premier League officials stopped them from teaming up with American TV network Paramount. Online casino Stake is set to win the race and spend one year as Chelsea's shirt sponsor before new rules preventing gambling companies from doing so come into play.
During Allianz's discussions with Chelsea, club chiefs were sounded out about a potential stadium naming deal. The Germans, who declined to comment on the report, are said to be seriously weighing up a major, long-term partnership, but only once the future of the Blues' home is confirmed.
It was claimed in the spring that Chelsea had decided to commit £2billion to develop Stamford Bridge as opposed to building a new stadium in Earl's Court. Co-controlling owner Todd Boehly is reportedly poised to green-light the project once costs and time frames are confirmed.
Allianz is ready to make Stamford Bridge the eighth member of their 'family of stadiums', having already signed naming rights deals with clubs in Munich, Turin, Sydney, Minnesota, Nice, Vienna, and Sao Paulo. Should Chelsea decide to sell their own naming rights, then they'd join the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City in doing so.
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After Boehly's consortium purchased the Blues for £4.25bn in May 2022, it was mooted that the American tycoon would look to knock Stamford Bridge down. Chelsea's ground currently holds around 40,000 fans, which is less than all of the other 'Big Six' Premier League clubs can fit into their stadiums.
According to a report from the Sun in March, the club had been in talks with the Chelsea Pitch Owners [CPO] and were waiting to see if they'd been successful with their £50million bid to buy land next to Stamford Bridge. Chair of the CPO, Chris Isitt, said: "The CPO is having positive talks with the club about redevelopment.
"We understand this is a complicated project which needs careful consideration, but we share the common aim, which is to have the best stadium in London."
Building a new stadium on the current land was claimed to be the most popular vote among Chelsea supporters and the CPO. The development project is estimated to take around five years.
