Chelsea hit jackpot with amazing British record £900m kit deal as they leave adidas early to sign contract for 15 seasons with Nike
Blues land £60m-a-yr bonanza from next term - aiding Antonio Conte's transfer kitty and helping finance Stamford Bridge refit
CHELSEA have hit the jackpot with a phenomenal British-record £900MILLION kit deal.
Sportswear giants Nike will pump £60m into owner Roman Abramovich’s pockets every year for the next 15 seasons to bankroll the Blues.
That smashes the previous domestic high of £750m, set by Manchester United and adidas.
Chelsea’s deal begins next season and will play a major role in financing the
ambitious plans to rebuild Stamford Bridge and hand boss Antonio Conte (below) a huge boost to his transfer kitty.
The club is awaiting planning permission on a complete £500m rebuild of the ground with a view to completion in 2020.
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Conte was left frustrated by not being able to land his No 1 summer target, Napoli centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly.
He also missed out on England star John Stones, who moved from Everton to Manchester City for £47.5m.
Now AC Milan’s £50m-rated Alessio Romagnoli and Leonardo Bonucci are among Conte’s realistic targets as he looks to bolster his ageing defence.
But the cash will not be in Conte’s hands in time for the January transfer window. And Chelsea first have to pay around £40m in compensation to adidas for ending their relationship six years early.
As well as putting Chelsea back among the big spenders of world football, the deal will help the club with strict rules on Financial Fair Play.
The Blues are still behind Spanish giants Real Madrid in the earning stakes, though.
The ten-time European kings signed the first £1BILLION kit deal in football history in January with adidas.
But delighted Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia declared: “This is an incredibly exciting and important deal for the club.
“We believe Nike will support our growth into new markets as well as helping us maintain our place among the world’s elite football clubs.”
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