Premier League side Liverpool FC have signed a new deal with Chinese sports portal Hupu.com.

The partnership, struck in conjunction with Liverpool’s Shanghai-based media agency Mailman Group, will see Hupu.com develop an official Chinese-language website in the country.

The website is set to launch in January 2014 and follows Liverpool’s previous forays into Chinese media; launching official accounts on the SinaWeibo, TencentWeibo, Youku and Weixin platforms.

The deal, announced at the second Hupu International Sport Marketing Summit in Shanghai, ‘forms part of an ongoing five-year plan to establish Liverpool FC as China's favourite overseas football club’.

Matthew Baxter, the chief media officer at Liverpool FC, said: "We're delighted to be in Shanghai to announce our partnership with Hupu. This is a very exciting time for Liverpool FC as we see China as a key market in terms of the club's international expansion.

“Only, last month we announced the launch of a first football academy for the club in Guilin City. We have a passionate fan base in China which is growing at an extraordinary rate and we believe this new website will help enhance the relationship between the club and our Chinese fans. We have enjoyed great success working with Mailman Group since 2011 and we believe that our new partnership with Hupu will allow us to deliver an engaging and vibrant website for both fans and future Chinese partners."

According to an official press release, Liverpool have 170 million potential fans in China and boast more followers on social media in China than any other country.