Southampton pen record sponsorship deal with Chinese firm

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Southampton announced on Monday that they have secured the most lucrative sponsorship deal in the club's history with Chinese sports content, marketing, and entertainment platform LD Sports.

The three-year deal, of which the Premier League club has not revealed the value, will see LD Sports' logo featured on Southampton's first-team kits through the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

"It's an exciting challenge, and we are looking forward to using our growing credentials and awareness in China, as well as our content and digital marketing expertise, to help the brand achieve its business objectives over the next three years," said David Thomas, the club's commercial director, in a statement.

Southampton players celebrate at St. Mary's Stadium with five points above the drop zone in the 2018/19 Premier League, May 12. /VCG Photo

Southampton, who finished 16th this season with 39 points from 38 matches, stressed that the deal is representative of the club's presence and reputation in China, in which their majority shareholder Gao Jisheng has long harbored ambitions of establishing a foothold.

The Chinese businessman acquired an 80-percent stake in Southampton with his daughter for 272 million U.S. dollars in 2017 after more than 12 months of negotiations.

Southampton owner Gao Jisheng (L front) in the stands during the Premier League clash with Wolverhampton at Molineux, September 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Saints made a successful pre-season trip to China last summer, and they will visit China's Macao Special Administrative Region this July as part of their preparations for the new Premier League campaign.

English soccer is awash with money from across the globe, with several clubs from their top two divisions being owned by Chinese investors, including Southampton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Reading.