Reds announce record-breaking sponsorship deal

Liverpool have announced the "largest ever commercial deal" in the history of the club with Standard Chartered Bank sealing a four-year sponsorship deal.

It is reported that the agreement is worth in the region of £80m and the announcement signals the end of Liverpool's lengthy association with Carlsberg, who have been the club's shirt sponsors since 1992.

Standard Chartered will become the club's primary sponsor from July next year and the deal, confirmed by managing director Christian Purslow, will run until the end of the 2013-14 season.

"The sponsorship opportunity attracted a huge level of interest from a wide array of globally recognised brands," Purslow told the club's official website.

"It is a real sign of the progress we have made at Liverpool that we have been able to secure the largest ever commercial deal in our history."

News of the new sponsorship deal comes just three days after co-owner George Gillett claimed the club are in a stronger economic position than at any other time in their history.

Plans for a new 60,000-seater stadium at Stanley Park have been delayed due to the global financial climate but Purslow has hinted that Monday's news could reinvigorate the project.

"The overall financial health of our football club is a key ingredient of being able to get the stadium project back up and running," Purslow said.

"This is a huge step forward for the club financially and that can only be helpful to create the conditions in which we can restart the stadium project.''