The football business world is buzzing with activity as Premier League clubs look to secure the biggest sponsorship deals ahead of the new season.
Tottenham Hotspur have already made headlines with fresh commercial partnerships, while several other top-flight sides are exploring new revenue streams to boost their transfer budgets.
The landscape of football marketing is shifting rapidly, with clubs increasingly relying on specialist agencies to maximise income from global brands.
With the 2026 Commonwealth Games also on the horizon, major opportunities are opening up for ambitious firms in the sporting sponsorship sector.
Amid all this, a high-stakes battle is emerging involving former Manchester United executives, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Victoria Timpson, the club’s ex-chief executive of global alliances and partnerships, has joined forces with Florence Lafaye, former commercial director, and Ali Edge, a director in Timpson’s department, to launch a new agency called Altius8.
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The trio are already working with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, helping the club secure lucrative deals with companies such as Snapdragon and TeamViewer — partnerships that previously contributed significantly to United’s transfer kitty.
However, the competition is intensifying.
Richard Arnold, former Manchester United chief executive who also departed following Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos’ takeover, established his own firm, Red Tiger Marketing, alongside other ex-United staff including Laurence Miller, director of revenue strategy, and Polly Adams, strategy manager.
While Arnold’s agency initially focused on non-football opportunities such as the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a non-compete clause in his United exit has now expired, opening the door for direct competition with his former colleagues in football sponsorship.
Richard Arnold confirmed in a recent interview with Sports Business, via the Daily Mail, that Red Tiger has already initiated discussions with multiple clubs, not just in the Premier League, signalling a clear intent to challenge Altius8’s growing influence.
The unfolding rivalry pits two teams of highly experienced former United executives against each other, each leveraging their insider knowledge of elite football operations to attract brands and maximise club revenues.
For Manchester United fans, the saga adds another layer to the club’s post-Ratcliffe era, highlighting how former staff are reshaping football’s commercial landscape while still carrying the prestige and experience gained at Old Trafford.
With both Altius8 and Red Tiger Marketing now free to pursue football clients, the coming months are set to see intense jockeying for sponsorship dominance — a behind-the-scenes battle that could redefine how Premier League clubs generate revenue off the pitch.
