Etihad Airways on Thursday stayed silent on speculation linking it to a possible shirt sponsorship deal with English Premier League club Manchester City.
City hope to secure a record sponsorship deal with the national airline of the UAE after opening talks about an agreement that would recognise their position as the wealthiest club in the world, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
Etihad’s links to the Abu Dhabi United Group, the club’s owners, have positioned the airline as the frontrunners to replace current sponsor Thomas Cook, the newspaper reported.
It said the new agreement could be the biggest in English football, beating Manchester United’s $84.5 million four-year deal with AIG.
In an emailed statement on Thursday, an Etihad Airways spokesman said: “As an airline based in Abu Dhabi it’s inevitable there will be speculation that Etihad Airways will be linked commercially with Manchester City but we do not comment on speculation.”
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