Manchester United have announced that they will face Shanghai Shenhua as part of a pre-season tour of China in July.

Red Devils to tour China as part of pre-season programme

Partnership

Manchester United have announced that they will face Shanghai Shenhua as part of a pre-season tour of China in July. The Red Devils last visited China back in 2009, but will be returning this summer. A tie against ambitious Super League outfit Shenhua will form part of that trip, with a date pencilled in for 25th July. "We had a fantastic amount of support from our fans last time we played a pre-season game in China," said United chief executive David Gill. "We were overwhelmed by the passion and excitement generated by the fans who came out to support us and we hope many more join us again this year." The game against a side that already have Nicolas Anelka in their squad and are trying to sign Didier Drogba, will be one of two matches United plan to play in China during their pre-season programme. The fixture was announced on Thursday as part of a five-year partnership with US car giant Chevrolet.Although no figure is being placed on the partnership it is believed United have secured a significant increase on their previous deal with Audi, which has now expired. Despite losing their status as Premier League champions to Manchester City and missing out on the signing of Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard, United believe they remain at the forefront of the world game. And, after announcing that they have 659 million fans worldwide, they are keen to maintain their commercial power, especially as media revenues will be affected in the UEFA Champions League. In 2010/11 United were knocked out in the group stages for only the second time, whilst next season, their percentage of the English 'pot' will be reduced due to a combination of City's title win and Chelsea's Champions League success. "With 659 million United fans and followers around the world, the commitment that Chevrolet is making to football and its plans to bring these fans closer to our club is very exciting for us," said United commercial director Richard Arnold. "This is also the first time we have teamed up with a US automotive partner and with the growing popularity of the club and English football in America, we are hoping the relationship will allow us to further expand our fan base in the country."