Manchester United latest; Club 'buy-back' sponsorship deal

Football News 24/7

Manchester United have bought out their sponsorship deal with DHL early in a bid to secure more cash for the rights to their training kit.

United are in the second year of a four-year £40 million deal with the express delivery and freight firm.

But United believe that sponsorship is worth more after General Motors' Chevrolet division agreed earlier this year to sponsor the club's main shirts for $559 million over seven years.

"We have successfully negotiated an early buyout of our training kit agreement with DHL effective 30 June 2013," United, who are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, announced within a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing late Thursday.

DHL, which is a subsidiary of Germany's Deutsche Post AG, became the first training kit sponsor of an English football team in August 2011.

"The significantly increased value of agreements concluded since entering into this agreement, such as our recent $559 million world record shirt sponsorship with General Motors, leads us to believe that there should be strategic opportunities to further optimize the value of these rights," United said.

United's commercial revenue grew 13.7 percent to a record £117.6 million in 2011-12.

Meanwhile, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits Javier Hernandez has handed him a selection dilemma after his match-winning display in the Champions League against SC Braga.

Hernandez has been in the shadow of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck this season, but scored twice as United came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and move closer to qualification for the knockout stage.

Ferguson now prepares for a crucial Premier League game against leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday - and the 24-year-old Mexican striker has stated a powerful case for inclusion.

"The boy is improving all the time," Ferguson said. "He is fantastic in training and he's always practising.

JB