LONDON: United States car-maker Chevrolet is risking seeing  its attack on the market in the north-west of England backfiring after it followed up a sponsor deal with Liverpool by signing an even bigger deal with age-old regional rivals Manchster United.

The Premier League runners-up have signed a seven-year sponsorship deal with General Motors to have the Chevrolet brand on their shirts from 2014. It is thought to be worth around £170m which would be a Premier League record.

The club’s announcement  came within hours of GM’s marketing chief having resigned on Sunday, a departure reportedly linked to a partnership deal between the carmaker and the club announced at the end of May. The company will replace Aon, whose partnership with United began in the 2010.

United’s commercial director Richard Arnold said: “This is a fantastic, long-term deal for the Club,” said We have been partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks, but already they have produced some fantastic ideas that will benefit both the partnership and our 659 million followers around the world.”

The Liverpool partnership runs to the end of the 2015-16  Premier League and European campaigns.

GM’s UK-based Vauxhall business sponsors the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland national football teams. In May, GM said it would drop advertising from next year’s broadcast of the National Football League’s Super Bowl, and has also pulled out of advertising on Facebook.

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