Daily Mail

United to wear lonely hearts on sleeves

- Charles Sale

MANCHESTER UNITED are understood to have had sponsorshi­p discussion­s with online dating service Tinder.

The Silicon Valley company are said to be interested in becoming United’s sleeve sponsor — a new commercial opportunit­y for Premier League clubs from the upcoming season.

Nine clubs, including United’s big six rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, have signed sleeve deals but none for any amount near the £12million a year that Tinder are said to be offering.

The advertisin­g space on the left sleeve — with the Premier League logo on the right — is being valued by the industry at 20 per cent of the main shirt sponsor. So Tinder paying £12m fits in with the £50m a year United are paid by Chevrolet.

The claimed Tinder talks with United come as the dating app, which has 50m users making 1 billion swipes per day, is looking for a more mainstream image and a global following.

The partnershi­p could open up new ways to connect with fans. Tinder already have a deal with italian club Napoli, which includes special interactio­n with Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik, who was given a dating profile on the app.

A United spokesman declined to comment. SKY SPORTS have won the UK rights for the Conor McGregor v Floyd Mayweather super fight after specialist boxing channel BoxNation withdrew from the bidding. It is understood Mayweather (right) wants Sky to charge the same pay-per-view price of $99 that was a record in the US for his fight with Manny Pacquiao in 2015. More sensibly, Sky are looking at a £19.95 charge. THE Oval may have the worst press box of any English ground hosting internatio­nal cricket, but Surrey set an example to other counties with the way they decorate every part of the ground with pictures, facts and figures of their storied history that now includes staging 100 men’s Tests.

Extraordin­ary feats down the years are being celebrated with brown plaques dotted around the concourse, but they are reserved for Surrey players. However, it won’t be long before Moeen Ali’s first Test hat-trick at The Oval is commemorat­ed in some way, and England’s victory was already inscribed on the new Test honours board within five minutes of the last wicket falling. POPULAR British 400 metres runner Martyn Rooney missed the birth of his son Jack because he was competing in the World Championsh­ips in Beijing in 2015. Two years on, Rooney’s wife Kate is due to give birth to their second child during the World Championsh­ips in London. British Athletics are making plans to get Rooney home to Loughborou­gh as quickly as possible so he doesn’t miss this birth as well.

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