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Manchester United, the English and European soccer champion, says it can eclipse its 19 million- pound ($26.6 million) shirt sponsorship deal with American International Group Inc. as the club looks for new partners.
The 17-time English champion sent letters to a “select number of worldwide companies” offering them the possibility of having their names emblazoned on United’s famous red shirts, club spokesman Philip Townsend said in an interview today.

AIG’s sponsorship runs until the end of the 2009-10 season. In September, the U.S. government pumped $85 billion into the insurer and took an equity stake in the company, which is unlikely to renew the United agreement.
Any new partnership will tie in with the start of the Premier League’s new broadcast contract, which is currently under negotiation. The league is also seeking to play some competitive games overseas from 2010, with many to be staged in Asia.