Man Utd signs Lycos for online fans

Most Man U fans will never get to come here

Manchester United's latest signing is trying to cater for the online obsessions of its army of foreign fans.

The deal is with internet giant Terra Lycos, and aims to make money out of its overseas fan base by supplying them with content.

The key part of the deal is a plan for a Chinese-language site to be supplied by Lycos Asia.

Millions among China's 1.2 billion-strong population would consider themselves Man U fans, while the Chinese diaspora across South-East Asia supply many more.

Giving the fans somewhere official to find information about the side could help sell them merchandise - and could even cut into the rampant levels of bootlegging.

Lycos Asia is becoming the official sales agent for the club's online activities in the region, as is Lycos Europe in its own arena.

Terra Latin America - the dominant portal player in the region - is also a key part of the deal, and Lycos US will become exclusive sales partner for the club's US tour in 2003.