Arsenal are reportedly close to signing an agreement with a Subscription Video on Demand service to become the club’s first sleeve sponsor at a cost of £10m-per-year.

Goal’s Chris Wheatley reports that the club, who recently signed a new deal with Emirates for shirt sponsorship that left it open for them to sign a sleeve sponsor, would surpass Liverpool’s five-year, £5m-a-year-deal with Western Union as well as Chelsea’s £8m-a-year deal with Alliance Tyres.

Arsenal’s previous deal with Emirates did not allow them to acquire a sleeve sponsor.

Adidas are also favourites to take over kit production when the current deal with PUMA expires at the end of next season.

It was first reported that Arsenal would sign a sleeve sponsor in mid-February.

The club are said to be making the move to try and close the commercial gap between themselves and the Manchester sides. Arsenal’s commercial ability has often come in for criticism from fans. A sleeve sponsor would take them to 27 different partnership agreements.

Despite those deals, at present, Arsenal still lag behind both the red and blue sides of Manchester by a sum in excess of £100m.

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