Everton and its ownership are reportedly working on a deal to bring a "major" brand in as the club's front-of-the-shirt sponsor, according to Mark Douglas of The i Paper in the UK.
Douglas doesn't say who the deal might be with, just that the new stadium and the quality of the Friedkin Group's ownership since they took over have brands willing to pay potentially record prices in order to take over as the kit sponsor for the Blues.
Some of this movement, of course, is due to the Premier League banning the use of betting sites from serving as kit sponsors on the front of shirts in the country, something that will impact a good chunk of the league, including Everton.
The club signed a then-record £10 million per season deal with the betting website back in 2022, after donning car delivery company Cazoo for two seasons before that. That deal came after a three-year contract with Sportpesa was dissolved in 2020. Before that, Everton's shirt sponsor was Thai beer Chang, from 2004-2017.
The Friedkin Group is involved with several major companies in the United States, including Toyota, a Japanese car manufacturer that serves as one of the driving forces of TFG's financial portfolio.
They also own AS Roma in Italy, and almost immediately after making that purchase in 2020, the ownership switched the kit sponsor over from Qatar Airways to Zytara on a three-year deal. This could be an indication of the type of deal they may be seeking for Everton's shirt.
In some ways, this seemed to be coming. For the first time, Everton offered fans the opportunity to purchase kits without the sponsor on the front, something that was only ever available for youth kits when the sponsor was betting or alcohol related.
The deal with this mystery company is said to be "in advanced negotiations with major brands willing to pay record fees. Talks are ongoing with several parties but a deal is understood to be close," according to Douglas' reporting.
And it comes with even more good news, as ownership is said to be interested in making sure that "every single penny banked through new sponsors will be invested back into the club," mostly in terms of "transfer fees, player wages and agent fees."
This, of course, is one of the key things Everton need to build up the club's brand and really begin to compete in the Premier League and for European spots in the next year or two.
With the 2025/26 season winding down, Evertonians will be on the lookout for a new shirt with a new sponsor for next season.