Antonio Conte handed massive transfer kitty at Chelsea after £900m deal

CHELSEA’s Antonio Conte has been handed a massive transfer boost after the club clinched a staggering £900m kit deal with Nike.

By Tim Gray

 The new £60m-a-year agreement with the sportswear giant puts Chelsea in the top bracket of club sponsorship deals across the globe alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United and will see them make £110m a year in worldwide shirt sales.

The deal, which will run from the start of the 2017-18 season, doubles the amount the Chelsea receive from their current agreement with Adidas, which they have paid £40m to terminate six years early.

And it will see Conte’s transfer kitty inflated by up to £30m a year, with the club’s ability to spend under strict Financial Fair Play increased thanks to the cash injection from Nike.

Conte will doubtless be eager for some extra cash to be freed up early ahead of the January transfer window, with the Italian desperate to sign a centre-back.

The likes of Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Alessio Romagnoli of AC Milan were all targets in the summer.

And despite resigning David Luiz from Paris St-Germain, Conte is expected to attempt another raid on Serie A in the New Year.

Chelsea have been in negotiations with Nike since confirming they would be ending the agreement with Adidas back in May.

The club described the signing of the new technical partnership as “the largest commercial deal in the club’s history”, with Nike producing kits for Chelsea’s first team, academy and ladies’ teams.

    IN THE MONEY: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has been given a transfer boost

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “This is an incredibly exciting and important deal for the club. We believe Nike will be able to support our growth into new markets as well as helping us maintain our place among the world’s elite football clubs.”

Trevor Edwards, president of the Nike brand, said: “Chelsea is a world-class club with a rich tradition and passionate fans across the globe. The partnership with Chelsea reinforces our leadership position in football.”

Chelsea’s eye watering new deal still lags behind Real Madrid, who earlier this year agreed a 10-year deal with Adidas worth around £106m a season.

            

   

Barcelona have a £100m a year deal with Nike - while Manchester United signed a £750m a year deal 10 year deal with Adidas in 2014.

Skipper John Terry handed Chelsea yet more good news as he returned to full training yesterday after a month out with an ankle injury - and he is expected to be available for tomorrow’s clash with champions Leicester.

But Brazilian midfielder Willian will not be available, after being given compassionate leave by the club to return to Brazil following the death of his mother after a battle with cancer.