Manchester United to Swap AIG for Sahara Group as Shirt Sponsors

(MoneyWatch)  India's Sahara Group is in "advanced talks" to replace AIG as sponsors of Manchester United, Reuters reports. BNET previously noted that Man Utd probably need at least $100 million from a new sponsor in order to stave off their debt payments and retain the pricey talent that adorns the field at Old Trafford.

Players are about to enter the notorious summer "transfer window," when they are allowed to renegotiate their contracts. Stars frequently blackmail their club contract owners with threats to leave unless they get pay raises. Man Utd walked off with the English Premier League title this year, so every single one of their team has a claim to a raise.

The potential arrival of Sahara, a financial conglomerate, is part of a trend in which Eastern money is fast outbidding Western money for control of international football. The news comes as Portsmouth F.C. reached a deal to be bought by United Arab Emirates businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim. Manchester City is already in Arab hands, and Arsenal's stadium is sponsored by the Arab Emirates airline.

As if to underline the rise of Eastern money, Man Utd had also presented a deal to Indian industrial conglomerate Tata.

The deal is set to close June 5. ESPN, however, reported that Sahara has not moved on the deal since it was presented to the company back in January:

"There is no progress on the issue," spokesman Abhijit Sarkar said when contacted.

If the deal did go through, it would also represent yet another step in the internationalization of football marketing. Man Utd are already huge in South Korea due to their feisty midfilder, Ji-Sung Park, and the crowd at Old Trafford is often filled with Asian faces.

Sahara also sponsors the Indian cricket team; adding a Man Utd exposure could extend the fanbase in India. This statement, reported on DNA India as coming from a Sahara official, is somewhat ambitious, however:

We think that if we can sponsor such a huge club it will give an opportunity for Indian footballers to play as well.

Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson might have something to say about who gets to play, regardless of the money they bring.

• See also:
• For Manchester United, Sponsorship Deal Gets Complicated With Premier League Win, Ronaldo and Tevez Talks
• Advertisers Abandon Fox Soccer Channel Host After He Blames Liverpool Supporters for 96 Deaths in Stadium Crush
• Why Manchester United Must Ask Prudential for More Money to Replace AIG Sponsorship
• $28 Million in AIG Taxpayer Money Spent on Manchester United