English top-flight soccer outfit Arsenal have signed a partnership extension with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), according to Football.London.
If confirmed, the reported renewal will see the ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo continue to feature on the Premier League club’s left sleeve.
Arsenal and RDB initially teamed up back in 2018 with Visit Rwanda becoming the Gunners’ official tourism partner, as well as the club’s first sleeve sponsor.
That contract was reportedly worth UK£30 million (US$41.4 million) over three years.
Football.London’s report added that the new agreement with RDB will run until 2025 and is worth up to UK£10 million (US$13.8 million) a year, meaning the Gunners stand to earn UK£40 million (US$55.2 million) over the course of the partnership.
It is also set to continue RDB’s involvement in European soccer after the organization inked a three-year deal with Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) in 2019 for branding on the French soccer giants’ training kit.
Arsenal’s silence on the matter isn’t entirely surprising; although we’re sure an announcement will come at some point.
They have become increasingly secretive around a number of aspects within the club, including sponsorship renewals and player injuries.
“After a successful start to the 3-year partnership with Arsenal Football Club, the Rwanda Development Board decided in 2019 to renew the partnership, which was then announced on 14 May 2021, during the launch of the club’s 2021/22 away kit,” RDD explained on Twitter.
RDB further explained the gains that were made from Visit Rwanda whereby by the end of the first year of the partnership, Rwanda’s tourism revenue increased by 17% to US$498M in 2019 from US$425M in 2018.
