Manchester United are on the verge of agreeing a new £70 million shirt sponsorship deal with Chinese company Haier.
United’s current deal with American car manufacturer Chevrolet is due to expire in 2021, but the auto giant is looking to exit the deal, worth £450 million over its lifetime early, meaning that the club are in the market for new sponsors.
The club have refused to comment in reports that senior officials of the club met with representatives of the Chinese company in London recently to thrash out details of the agreement.
Haier is a Chinese company with a global presence and have long been supporters of Chinese youth education.
The United shirt sponsorship deal is one of the most valuable brands in world sport, and, despite the club’s struggles off the pitch this season, they remain a very attractive proposition for commercial partners.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.