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Manchester United have got the biggest shirt sponsorship deal ever concluded in English football with a four-year £56.5m contract with American International Group, the US insurance company. It is smaller than the £167.5m that Tamoil, the Libyan oil company, will pay Juventus over a ten year period and only just ahead of the £14m a year Real Madrid gets from Siemens. However, it dwarfs Chelsea's £11m a year link up with Samsung and United's own previous £9m a year deal with Vodafone. Unlike most other shirt sponsors, AIG is not a consumer brand. However, it has a huge global workforce with quarter of a million employees in Asia. On line gaming company Mansion reportedly offer United an even bigger £65m deal over four years. When United pulled out of the talks with Mansion earlier in the week, the company accused the club of 'double dealing'. However, although Rangers, Sheffield United and Newcastle United have had talks with casino operators about providing gaming services, any link would have been a first for a football club. United, uncomfortable with the idea of forging such strong links with a gambling company, said the biggest offer was not necessarily the best. Andy Anson, United's commercial director commented, 'We took the deal that was right for Manchester United.'
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