Chelsea in £50m record shirt deal

Chelsea have signed a £50million sponsorship deal with Samsung - a new Premiership record.

The deal with the Korean electronics giant, which starts next season and will run for five years, is bigger than the current record held by Manchester United who are in the first season of a £36m, four-year deal with Vodafone.

Arsenal's £100m, 15-year tie-up with airline Emirates includes a shirt sponsorship deal, but that is thought to be worth around £3m a year with £9m a year going on the naming rights for the Gunners' new Ashburton Grove stadium.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said he hoped the deal with Samsung would help the club break into new markets in Asia and help them achieve the aim of becoming self-sufficient by 2010.

He said: "We are absolutely delighted to have Samsung Electronics as our new official club sponsor. The company is one of the world's largest brand names, and we are excited about what it can offer Chelsea.

"Samsung has a key part to play in the future global development of Chelsea and we believe we can play a similar role for it in its strategic aims."

Chelsea can win the Premiership title tonight if Arsenal fail to beat Tottenham at Highbury.

Mourinho and his team are expected to gather at Stamford Bridge tonight to watch the match on television but, if they do clinch the title this evening, celebrations will be muted as they face Liverpool in the first leg of their European Cup semi-final at home on Wednesday night.

Captain John Terry, who was last night crowned PFA player of the year, believes the club have now set their sights on winning the European Cup.