1. MANCHESTER UNITED £30m (General
Motors)
2. BARCELONA £25m (Qatar
Foundation)
3. BAYERN MUNICH £23.6m (Deutche
Telekom)
4. LIVERPOOL £20m (Standard
Chartered)
4. MANCHESTER CITY £20m (Etihad
Airways)
4. SUNDERLAND £20m (Invest in
Africa)
7. REAL MADRID £16.8m (Bwin)
8. CHELSEA £13.8m (Samsung)
9. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR £10m (Autonomy
& Investec)
9. AC MILAN £10m (Emirates)
9. NEWCASTLE UNITED £10m (Virgin
Money)
*ALL deal figures per season
Whopper: Manchester United's squad pose for a picture
at a Chevrolet event in Shanghai
Motoring on: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could soon
have extra money to spend
The seven-year contract with US Car firm General Motors will see
Chevrolet on United’s shirts from the start of the 2014-15
season.
It is worth an incredible £10m a year more than their current
deal with AON.
The announcement was brought forward to boost interest in a
stock market flotation of 10 per cent of United by the owning
Glazer family in the US.
The £30m-a-year deal eclipses the current highest shirt
sponsorship contract of Barcelona’s with The Qatar Foundation,
which is worth £25m a year.
United’s deal with AON was worth £20m a year over four years —
and the one before that with AIG was worth £14m a year.
United’s commercial director Richard Arnold said: “This is a
fantastic, long-term deal for the club.
“We have been partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks, but
they have produced some fantastic ideas that will benefit both the
partnership and our 659 million followers around the world.”
The deal will help to offset the £500m-plus that has gone
out of the club to service the debt incurred by the Glazers when
they took over in 2005.
Alan Batey, General Motors’ North America chief said: “We are
proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet, with Manchester United and
its passionate fans around the world.To be only the fifth name on
the iconic red jersey is a genuine honour.”
United manager Alex Ferguson will be hoping the announcement
will boost his transfer war chest. He has never complained about
the Glazers, although fans have been waiting for a marquee signing
this summer.
They are trying to land Arsenal’s Robin van Persie in a £15m
deal and Brazilian wonderkid Lucas Moura. The 19-year-old from Sao
Paulo will cost £30m.
The Glazer family intend to raise around £200m from their 10 per
cent United sale, which was announced last night.