New logo? AirAsia chief Fernandes poses in Manchester United shirt

25 February 2009 08:47
Tony Fernandes, self-confessed West Ham[LNB]fan and ebullient chief executive of AirAsia, has posted a picture of himself wearing a Manchester United shirt on his blog.[LNB]The enterpreneur is set to decide on whether to replace floundering American insurance company AIG as Manchester United[LNB]'s main sponsor.[LNB]With AIG's current four-year £56.5million deal expiring in May next year, one of the most prestigious sponsorship deals in world sport is up for grabs.[LNB]But Fernandes will have to pay an estimated £20m a year to see the logo of his low-cost airline adorning the torsos of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.[LNB]Competition is, unsurprisingly, fierce with several businesses sent out a sample shirt to see how their logo would look.[LNB]Fernandes, pictured below, also posted rhetoric on his blog, remarking: 'Here is the million-dollar question or, rather, the multimillion-dollar question. Do I commit to the shirt sponsorship of Manchester United?'[LNB] If the shirt fits: Fernandes poses in the mocked-up United shirt[LNB]Born in Malaysia, entrepeneur Fernandes has carved an image for himself as Asia's answer to Richard Branson. [LNB]With the launch of AirAsia came the slogan 'Now everyone can fly', and with the company already a partner of United and in the midst of a three-year deal to sponsor referees, he is no stranger to the Barclays Premier League.[LNB]And with Asian markets devouring all things football, should Fernandes desire to sponsor United, surely the £20m a-year outlay will really take off.[LNB] AirAsia launches bid to become Manchester United shirt sponsor[LNB]You're going out, Jose! United star Giggs fires warning to Inter Milan boss after San Siro stalemate[LNB]Inter 0 Man Utd 0: Fergie lets Jose off the hook as Red Devils draw a blank[LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB] [LNB] 

Source: Daily_Mail