Man United news: Kieran Maguire predicts ‘announcement soon’ after £40m deal struck
Man United may be testing the water with their partnership with Tezos – and a fan token scheme could be announced soon.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Red Devils’ kit sponsor deal with the blockchain firm.
United confirmed on Thursday (10 February) that Tezos’ logo will adorn official training wear as part of the “landmark partnership”.
It is the club’s first foray into the blockchain industry, and The Athletic reported last Thursday (3 February) that it is worth £20million per season.
United revealed that the tie-in is on a “multi-year” basis, so the deal will be worth at least £40m.
Several Premier League sides have, using blockchain technology, launched fan tokens that purport to give fans a say in club matters.
Maguire predicts that United could follow suit after laying the groundwork with Tezos.
“Blockchain is probably more stable than cryptocurrency,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“It will be an interesting one. Is this a backdoor vehicle to some form of Man United token?
“All the clubs have looked at this and are aware of some of the backlash from fans.
“Many take the view that they already engage with the club through buying merchandise and being part of supporters’ trusts.
“There are vehicles there whereby fans can express their views and engage. So they should be very careful.
“I think this is the case of United trying to lend legitimacy to Tezos through the training kit deal.
“If that works, they could then move on to another announcement soon from some form of fan token.”
Tezos take over from American insurance provider Aon, whose contract ended at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
United also began a new front-of-shirt sponsor partnership with TeamViewer at the beginning of the season.
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