Evergrande to become Inter sponsor?

By Football Italia staff

Chinese property developer Evergrande Group could replace Pirelli as Inter’s shirt sponsor, it is being reported.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Zhang Jindong’s trip to Milan was not just about meeting the Inter team or watching them play Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

That is because the Suning Group supremo had dinner with Xi Jiayin, founder and President of Evergrande Group, last night to discuss “very important commercial interests”.

Evergrande is the second biggest property developer in China, the most valuable in the world and already has dealings with Suning.

It also owns Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, managed by Fabio Cannavaro and previously Marcello Lippi.

As per the newspaper, the real-estate giant wants to grow in Europe by making itself known through the sponsorship of a big football club.

With that in mind, it could replace Pirelli as the chief sponsor of the Nerazzurri.

The Pirelli logo has appeared on Beneamata shirts since 1995, but the tyre manufacturer’s current agreement with the club expires in 2021.

Inter presently earn €13m plus bonuses a season from Pirelli, but Il Corriere writes “the very strong relationship” between Suning and Evergrande could pave the way for a far more lucrative deal.

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