Arsenal chase first ever sleeve sponsor to try and close gap to moneybags Manchester United and City

ARSENAL are desperately trying to find a first ever sleeve sponsor, according to reports.

The Gunners know they have fallen behind their megabucks Manchester rivals on and off the field.

Analysts have worked out United and City are over £100million a year better off thanks to their commercial successes.

And The Telegraph claims Emirates chiefs believe they can make a huge gain through sleeve sponsorship.

Chelsea and City make around £8m annually from selling space on one sleeve after the move was given the OK last year.

And the Gunners are among a number of clubs casting an envious eye and searching for sponsors next season.

Puma’s kit and Emirates deals at the end of the 2018-19 season, which will give Arsenal another huge opportunity to generate revenue.

But club bosses are busy working on other options as they seek to compete financially.

Despite handing Mesut Ozil a new deal and landing big-money signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, the North Londoners are still some way off the Premier League’s top clubs in spending.

And the gap can be explained by off-field struggles, with financial analysts Vysyble suggesting their commercial income was £127.1m and £184.6m behind City and United respectively last year.

Just 21 per cent Arsenal’s income comes from commercial deals – compared to just under 50 per cent for both Manchester clubs.