Italian sportswear manufacturer Macron has signed a seven-figure shirt manufacture deal with Sheffield United that will run from the summer until the end of the 2012/13 English soccer season. Sheffield United are currently in the second tier of English soccer, after being relegated from the Premier League in the summer of 2007.

The deal is Macron's second with a fallen giant of Yorkshire soccer - it also manufactures the kit of Sheffield United's rivals, Leeds United, as well as Italian clubs Bologna and Cagliari and Portuguese teams Sporting Braga and Boavista.

"We are delighted to be working with Macron, a forward thinking company which places great importance on design and quality. They are well established in mainland Europe and clearly intend to be a force in the UK," said the club's chief executive Jason Rockett. "Financially this is an excellent deal for United and is the successful outcome of long-term negotiations. The partnership with Macron is in line with our continued strategy of driving our off-the-field revenue streams."

Macron's chief executive officer Gianluca Pavanello commented: "Macron is delighted to be working with Sheffield United - one of the best known names in English football and from the city which gave birth to the game. We were impressed by the club's commitment to developing grassroots football and community initiatives, which mirror our own company beliefs. The opportunity to further our brand in line with Sheffield United's international partners in China, Australia and Hungary is also very exciting."