Turkish Airlines closing in on Chelsea shirt deal – report

National carrier Turkish Airlines is close to agreeing a £25m (€31.4m/$39.1m) per year shirt sponsorship deal with English Premier League football club Chelsea, according to the Daily Mail.

The UK newspaper said the agreement could be finalised by the end of 2014.

It is thought the deal will be worth around £8m more per year than Chelsea’s current contract with Samsung, the Korean electronics company.

Samsung, Chelsea’s shirt sponsor since 2005, announced in October that it would not be extending its deal with the Stamford Bridge club, which expires at the end of the current 2014-15 season.

Turkish Airlines has a significant presence in European football as the shirt sponsor of Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray and official carrier of German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and French Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille.