By Jamie Spencer
Liverpool have made Japan Airlines their first signing of the new season, officially partnering with the firm as the club seeks to grow revenue in order to better compete with Manchester City.
ThePremier League champions have posted record revenue figures in recent times, underpinning their ongoing dominance on the pitch by allowing them to invest in the best of the best when it comes to players and coaching staff.
Their most recent financial figures saw City make just shy of £713m in total revenue during the 2022/23 season. That marked a new Premier League record, far surpassing the previous high bar of £648m set by Manchester United, announced just weeks earlier for the same period.
City raked in £341m in commercial revenue, almost half of their overall income.
By comparison, Liverpool made £594m in 2022/23, which was no improvement on the previous campaign. The club's commercial income came in at £272.5m, while the final figures across the board resulted in a pre-tax loss of £9m for that season.
It highlights the widening difference between the clubs, with City having pulled away from the Reds since they last went head to head for the Premier League title in 2021/22.
But new commercial deals are one way for Liverpool to try and even up the fight once again. They haven't had an official airline partner since Malaysia Airlines in 2019 and hope that using this new sponsorship will help increase their reach further.
"Partnering with Japan Airlines is another major step forward in our club's strategy to expand our international presence and engage more deeply with our diverse and dedicated global fanbase," said Liverpool's chief financial officer Ben Latty.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Liverpool boost transfer budget with major new sponsorship.
