Tottenham denied similar sponsorship deal to Arsenal as lawmakers pledge to block £42.5m agreement

A proposed £42.5 million sponsorship deal between Tottenham and South Africa's official tourism board - similar to a sponsorship deal involving Arsenal - is set to be called off, according to a new report.

South Africa Tourism had provisionally agreed a three-year to feature its logo on Tottenham's shirt sleeves, from the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

According to BBC Sport, the board's CEO believed that the deal would 'assist in bringing large numbers of tourists into the country', and would 'provide a good return on the investment given the large worldwide following of the Premier League'.

But the investment has sparked backlash, with several SAT board members, as per the same source, resigning after the proposed deal being announced.

It has even caused the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, to get involved, with reports that he would engage in talks with the country's tourism minister, who claimed she had no knowledge of any deal, this week.

The proposed deal has been criticised for the amount of money planned to be spent on it, with labour unions arguing that the investment should be spent domestically instead.

Now, according to a new report, the plug is set to be pulled on the deal.

Tottenham sponsorship deal 'set to be called off'

As reported by The Telegraph, South African lawmakers have pledged to block the sponsorship deal from going through - leaving Spurs to look elsewhere for additional investment.

The committee's chairperson, Thandi Mahambehlala, said: "The deal, it ends here, today, now, because there is everything wrong about the deal itself.

"There must be an investigation on this matter with immediate effect."

The Telegraph also claim that the proposals have caused widespread anger within South Africa, due to current power blackouts and water shortages within the country.

The proposal was similar to a sponsorship deal Arsenal have with the tourism board of Rwanda. The Gunners wear 'Visit Rwanda' on their shirt sleeves, with branding featured around the Emirates Stadium.

According to a report from South African outlet Sunday Times, the deal costs Rwanda £10 million a year, although is said to have resulted in an eight per cent boost in tourism.

Topics: Arsenal, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur

Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.