Chinese sponsor for Newcastle?

Championship side Newcastle could agree a sponsorship deal with a Chinese company.

Logo of Newcastle United Football Club. [Photo: ouou.cn]

It's been a rocky few years for Newcastle. Although they're a stalwart of the Premiership, the 2009-10 season, as well as the current one, have seen them relegated to the Championship.

Their current sponsorship deal with Wonga hasn't been without controversy. Not only is the company itself (a payday lender) seen by many to be controversial, the signing was also the subject of debate over naming rights to Newcastle's famous St James's Park stadium.

Now, two things have been revealed about their replacement sponsor - due to be announced very soon.

Firstly, the naming rights to the stadium are not up for grabs. This was made very clear in an interview given by the club to the Newcastle Chronicle.

Secondly, and most interestingly, the sponsor may be Chinese. That's according to the same newspaper, who have reasoned that a Far East supporter would be a distinct possibility given the recent successes of Asian sponsors of British clubs (most notably, of course, Leicester and King Power).

China is specifically mentioned due to a growing appetite for football there, and the fact that Newcastle have revealed that they've been invited to partake in a pre-season tour of China. They're also on the up, with a promotion back to the Premiership on the cards.

Whether the sponsorship and the tour will materialise remains to be seen. Rest assured though, we'll be the first to let you know!