Asians feature in Manchester United sponsor bid

English Premier League club Manchester United expects to secure a world-record shirt sponsorship deal in excess of £15 million a year before the end of the season. It will replace the £9 million-a-year contract cancelled two years early by communications company Vodafone last November.

Electronics company Sony and the UAE-based Etihad Airways are rumoured to have been in talks with United, according to the UK's Daily Telegraph. Real Madrid (£14 million a year with Siemens), Bayern Munich (£12 million - T.com) and Chelsea (£10 million - Samsung) currently leave United trailing in their wake in the shirt sponsorship league.

"But United are confident the market has moved on since it signed the Vodafone deal," Sports Business reported.