Liverpool to sign a £60M DEAL

Liverpool are pursuing a record sponsorship dealwith Carlsberg which could net them £60million.

The Merseysiders hope to conclude negotiations as early as this summer on an agreement which would eclipse those of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Liverpool’s current three-year contract with the Danish brewers is worth around £10m a year - including Champions League bonuses - and ends after the 2009-10 season.

But co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett want to shatter previous records with a new four-year deal.

They are out to top the four-year £56m arrangement United signed with AIG in 2006 and Chelsea’s five-year £50m contract with Samsung, which runs to 2010.

Previous deals with Carlsberg, Liverpool sponsors since 1992, were thought to be worth a lot less than those of rival clubs.

A swift deal would give boss Rafa Benitez a transfer kitty and could help protect Reds’ value if either owner is forced to sell his share.