The Russian energy giant currently sponsors Bayern’s 1.Bundesliga rival Schalke 04, but the Munich club’s president, Uli Hoeness, has maintained any agreement would not threaten this deal. Schalke first linked up with Gazprom in 2006 and in May reached a new agreement extending the partnership through to June 30, 2017. The current contract is reportedly worth around Eur15 million per year, making it one of the most lucrative sponsorship deals in world football.

Sport Bild has reported that Gazprom vice-chairman and CEO Alexei Miller had a meeting with Hoeness and Bayern’s executive board chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge shortly before Christmas. Hoeness told the magazine: “If we co-operate with Gazprom, it will not be instead of Schalke, it will be us and Schalke. That is something that I have told my friend Clemens Toennies (Schalke chairman).”

Bayern’s current top sponsor is Deutsche Telekom, but it is unclear what guise Gazprom’s proposed deal would take.