Man United strike $66m training-kit deal

Manchester United struck a training-kit sponsorship deal on Monday, the Premier League champions saying they believed it was the first such agreement in English football. United said they had agreed a four-year contract with express and logistics company DHL. While the club did not give exact details, a source with knowledge of the deal said it was worth 40 million pounds ($66 million). That is more than the Old Trafford team received in the early 2000s from a shirt agreement with Vodafone although it is less than the 80 million pounds media reports have said their existing shirt deal with insurance brokerage Aon was worth. United won a record 19th league title last season and their on-field success has been matched by strong commercial revenue figures In May, quarterly financial results showed there was a 30 percent rise in commercial revenue compared to the same period the previous year. "This deal breaks new ground in the English game," United chief executive David Gill said in a statement. "We are delighted DHL has chosen to pioneer training kit sponsorship with the club. Their global presence and international standing are a perfect fit for the world's most popular football club." DHL, part of Deutsche Post AG , will see their logo appear on training kit worn by first, reserve and youth team players. United host Tottenham Hotspur later on Monday, seeking to build on last week's 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in their Premier League opener.