Aston Villa have enlisted the agents of NBA star LeBron James to help them land a new sponsor for next season.
The club must part ways with their current front-of-shirt partner, Betano, at the end of the season as Premier League sides have agreed to drop gambling logos from their jerseys from the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
The Betano deal is thought to have been worth up to £20million per year.
Like a number of clubs, Villa are on the hunt for a principal partner and are working with Klutch Sports Group, who were founded in 2012 by James’ long-term agent Rich Paul.
It is not unusual for clubs to employ agencies to aid their search for sponsors – Villa have long had a strong relationship with Klutch and many Premier League sides are in a similar situation at this time of the season.
Finding the best possible sponsorship deal is key for a club like Villa, who have matched the wealthy elite on the pitch under Unai Emery, but struggle to do so off it as they cannot generate the same revenue as England’s richest clubs.
Aston Villa hope LeBron James’ agents will boost their search for new sponsors next season
James is one of the most famous American sports stars of his era and one of the best in NBA history.
Still playing for LA Lakers at the age of 41, he is the competition’s all-time leading points scorer and has won four championships from 10 finals appearances.
Villa, meanwhile, are desperate to reach next season’s Champions League as the extra funds available would give the club the financial boost they crave. They are pushing to do so in both the Premier League and the Europa League.
Villa’s 3-0 aggregate win over Lille set up a quarter-final tie against Bologna next month, while they remain fourth in the Premier League despite poor recent form and face West Ham at Villa Park on Sunday.
Emery said: ‘We are focusing all the season through the Premier League – it is the priority. Then, Europa League, which is a very difficult competition to win. We are trying to compete, and competing in the Europa League can help us.’
