£125m Deal Fits For Reds

United are out to land a new £125million shirt sponsorship deal - with Saudi Telecom favourites to get their name on the famous shirt.

AIG yesterday confirmed they would not be renewing their £19m-a-year sponsorship deal at the end of next season. The firm has collapsed in the credit crunch and had to be propped up by the US taxpayer.

Saudi Telecom, the leading provider of telecommunications in Saudi Arabia, have no such problems. They are desperate to increase their influence with United, who are massive in the Middle East.

Saudi Telecom already have a £15m, five-year deal with the club to use United’s branding with their products inside their own country. But the prospective shirt sponsorship deal will dwarf AIG’s and be worth £25million-a-year over five years.

A United spokesman said: “[We are] exploring the possibility of a shirt sponsor for the 2010-11 season. The club is in dialogue with a select number of top companies worldwide and has so far received sufficient interest to be confident it can improve on its £19m annual partnership with AIG.”

United have also made contact with Indian financial services corporation Sahara.
- Staff reporter, The Sun -