Man United bypass new rule with 'ridiculous' £20m deal - expert
Manchester United should not have been allowed to agree a deal with Betway to sponsor their training kit in 2026-27.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Red Devils have unfairly bypassed the Premier League's ban on betting companies as front-of-shirt sponsors.
The ban has been introduced ahead of the 2026-27 campaign and has currently left several top clubs without sponsors for their new kits.
Wyness believes that the rule is "not fit for purpose" at the moment, and questioned whether United should have been allowed to circumvent it in this manner.
The Manchester giants have agreed a multi-year deal with Betway worth £20million each season, which will see their logo feature on all their training kit.
Wyness pointed out that content of the players wearing that kit will likely go out across their social media channels on a regular basis, meaning fans would still be exposed to the company.
Keith Wyness: Gambling sponsor legislation 'should have been looked at more'
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the Premier League should have spent more time weighing up the ban on gambling sponsors before they officially enforced it.
The Scottish businessman questioned the effectiveness of the current rulings, and also noted that there is little difference between the sponsors that feature on match and training kits.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness suggested that it is "ridiculous" that United have been allowed to get past the ruling.
"It's ridiculous, isn't it? You can't have the front of the shirt, but yet you can have all your coverage and footage on social media in the training kit, and it's still there," he said.
"It just shows to me that the rules aren't fit for purpose. I think that the gambling companies and the whole legislation should have been looked at more.
"I know there's a big anti-betting lobby in the whole thing, but I'm afraid when you see it on the training kit, and that's allowed, I don't really see a big difference between that and the front of the shirt
"It was money coming into the game that was used for all sorts of good reasons in running clubs, so it's something I've got a bit of a bone about. I think they should have let it go, and I think it is bad rules that they allow the training kit."
Ex-Man City figure hails Man United commerical team
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson recently told Football Insider that United's deal with Betway is "brilliant."
He hailed the club's commercial team for their ability to strike the agreement, and noted that it will provide a "very welcome" boost to their coffers.
Borson also made it clear that United will be an even bigger attraction for sponsors now that they are back in the Champions League.
The Red Devils have moved forward on and off the pitch in recent months, and they will be hoping that improvement continues into 2026-27.