Standard Chartered Bank announced as new Liverpool shirt sponsor

Liverpool has announced the club's largest ever commercial agreement today, the English Premier League club sealing a four-year shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank.

Financial details were not disclosed but the tie-up has been reported to be worth £80 million pounds for the British bank's logo to replace Danish beer brewer Carlsberg, who have sponsored Liverpool since 1992.

The five-times European champions said the agreement would begin next July and run until the end of the 2013-14 season.

"The sponsorship opportunity attracted a huge level of interest from a wide array of globally recognised brands " the club's managing director Christian Purslow told its official website (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv).

"It is a real sign of the progress we have made at Liverpool that we have been able to secure the largest ever commercial deal in our history."

The windfall comes as a timely boost following a pre-season in which manager Rafael Benitez has been frustrated in his attempts to free up cash to spend in the transfer market.

The Spaniard fell out with Tom Hicks and George Gillett over the side's transfer policy shortly after the North American businessmen purchased Liverpool in 2007.

Liverpool, England's most successful club with 18 English league titles and five European Cup triumphs, have not won a domestic championship since 1990.