Manchester United and Tottenham have been connected with a strange sponsorship agreement since 2022.
The two Premier League giants - who recently faced off in north London just days ago - are both enduring difficult seasons in very different yet bizarre ways.
Ruben Amorim's task has suddenly got a lot harder after news of Amad's recent injury blow shocked supporters, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Toby Collyer and Manuel Ugarte also sidelined for the Red Devils in recent weeks.
So what is the shared sponsorship agreement that links Manchester United and Tottenham?
After the sacking of Erik ten Hag back in October 2024, Manchester United have continued to dwindle under new boss Amorim for the majority of the season.
It seems their only hope now is success in either the FA Cup or the UEFA Europa League but injuries are once again making the 40-year-old's job at Old Trafford even more difficult.
But according to Mail Sport, Manchester United's minority owners INEOS have been affiliated with Tottenham Hotspur since 2022 and now want to end their three-year association with the Lilywhites.
INEOS, owned and operated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has been the club's official 4x4 vehicle partner with their Ineos Grenadier advertised extensively by Spurs. Ratcliffe was linked with buying a London club before his investment in United, with Chelsea rumoured before BlueCo's acquisition.
Amicable discussions are said to be ongoing between INEOS and Spurs to bring to an end to their five-year sponsorship agreement as Ratcliffe again looks to tighten his pursestrings.
Spurs and Ineos are yet to respond to the claims, but the news comes after New Zealand Rugby said last week that it was going to take Ineos to court for failing to pay the first instalment of 2025 sponsorship money that was due under a six-year deal signed in 2021. Yikes.
INEOS' time at Old Trafford has been turbulent to say the very least, with even more job redundancies expected to come in 2025. Over 250 people were laid off last year with a further bout of job cuts set to follow.
In FourFourTwo's view, the press around Ratcliffe and INEOS is at a continuing worrying level, especially given Manchester United's on-field problems in the Premier League this season.
