Manchester United could earn as much as Dhs143 million a year by selling naming rights to Old Trafford, eclipsing the Dhs100 million Manchester City receive from Etihad’s sponsorship.

That is according to Trevor Birch, the former Chelsea and Everton chief executive, who believes United may not be able to continue to resist such a deal for much longer.

City’s naming deal, which has seen their ground called Etihad Stadium since 2011, is one of a number of such sponsorships in the Premier League.

Others include Arsenal (Emirates Stadium), Brighton & Hove Albion (American Express Community Stadium), Stoke City (bet365 Stadium), Huddersfield Town (John Smith’s Stadium), Leicester City (King Power Stadium), and Swansea City (Liberty Stadium).

SHOULD MANCHESTER UNITED CASH IN?

Old Trafford has so far been untouched as Manchester United have built one of the world’s biggest football brands. But Birch, now head of UK sports at financial services company Duff & Phelps, does not think the Red Devils can hold our forever.

“Although the UK hasn’t embraced stadium naming rights as enthusiastically as the United States, its potential to become an important revenue stream is highlighted by these figures,” Birch said.

“Clubs are continually looking at ways to generate extra value. Given the gilt-edged international demand for the Premier League TV rights, we may be entering a period where we start to see clubs monetising their stadium rights. This is potentially a huge opportunity for clubs.

“Sponsorship demand for the content rights of the top clubs in the Premier League shows no sign of abating.”

Duff & Phelps’ list of potential naming rights deals also suggest that West Ham could stand to earn Dhs26 million a year for its London Stadium, while Crystal Palace could net Dhs6 million a year for Selhurst Park.