Chelsea END their five-year Yokohama shirt sponsorship deal

Chelsea have brought to an end their five-year partnership with Yokohama as their official shirt sponsor, with the club on the look out for a new sponsor to match the lucrative deals obtained by other clubs.

The west London club announced on Friday that it is extending its partnership with the Japanese tyre company, who have been the Blues' shirt sponsor since 2015, although their logo will no longer be emblazoned on the front of the club's kit.

Instead, Yokohama is now Chelsea's Official Global Tyre Partner, with club chiefs looking for a new sponsorship deal to compete with their big rivals.

Chelsea's partnership with Yokohama was the second biggest sponsorship deal in the Premier League when it was announced in 2015, with the Stamford Bridge club penning a five-year, £200million deal with the brand.

However, Chelsea's big rivals have since signed agreements that match, or even better, that figure. Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs each have their own £40million-per-year shirt sponsorship deals while Manchester United have a £53million-per-year arrangement with car manufacturer Chevrolet - the most lucrative deal in the Premier League.

It comes after league leaders Liverpool announced a record-breaking partnership with kit manufacturer Nike, which is thought to be worth in the region of £80million-per-year. Chelsea's kit is also manufactured by Nike, but their arrangement is worth £60million-per-year.

The Liverpool-Nike collaboration also eclipses the Manchester United-adidas partnership, which is thought to be worth £75million-per-year.