Tottenham can trump Arsenal with £42.5m-plus deal as off-pitch announcement imminent

Tottenham have the chance to one-up North London rivals Arsenal with what would be a vital deal for the club.

Arsenal have had the edge over Spurs on the pitch in recent years, finishing above them in the Premier League every season after 2016-17.

But Spurs’ move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a slick commercial operation have ensured that they have had the bragging rights over Arsenal in terms of their financial performance.

While this might seem trivial at first, it is financial performance that, in the era of financial fair play (now Profit and Sustainability Rules, or PSR), so often dictates results on the pitch on the long term.

And Spurs could extend their lead over the Gunners by signing another blockbuster commercial deal to go with their partnerships with Nike and AIA, which are worth £30m and £40m per year respectively.

Spurs aiming for £42.5m sleeve sponsor deal

Tottenham are currently partnered with car retailer Cinch, who pay around £8m per season to sponsor the club’s kit sleeves.

The club first embarked on a five-year deal with Cinch in 2021 but, as reported by Sport Business.), have now exercised an option to terminate the deal a year ahead of schedule.

That means Spurs are in the market for a new sleeve sponsor, a market which has skyrocketed in value in recent years since the Premier League allowed them for the first time in 2017.

Daniel Levy has known that the Cinch termination has been in the post for some time and has therefore directed his commercial department to court potential new partners.

Significantly, Spurs were set to sign a three-year £42.5m deal with the South African tourist board in 2023.

That deal collapsed amid politicial criticism within South Africa, but it does provide a benchmark in terms of the fee that Spurs are capable of getting.

At just over £14m per season, a deal of this value would take Spurs beyon Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in terms of the most lucrative sleeve sponsorship agreement.

Only Man United (£20m per year) and Man City’s (£18m per year) deals with DXC Technology and OKX respectively are worth more.

Tottenham dominating Arsenal in commercial department

Spurs’ overall commercial revenue in 2022-23, the last season for which financial data is available, was £227.7m.

Arsenal’s by contrast was some way behind at £169.3m, which is the lowest of any of the so-called ‘Big Six’ clubs by quite a margin.

Spurs have the advantage of being able to host non-football events at their stadium – they welcomed the likes of Beyonce and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers last summer.

Those events are worth millions every time, and Spurs are capable of generating almost a seven figure from refreshments alone on a matchday.

Tottenham could extend the gap with a naming rights deal for the London Stadium, which would be worth upwards of £150m over a 10-year contract.