The Malta Tourism Authority is refusing to say how much it spent on a sponsorship deal with English Championship side Sheffield United, though the British media are reporting that it runs into millions of pounds.

The authority said Sheffield United requested that the figure be kept under wraps, though it is likely to appear in the accounts since the club are a public limited company.

When contacted yesterday, a spokesman for the authority would only say that the MTA had managed to strike a "good deal".

However, a statement on the football club's official website described the sponsorship as "lucrative" while the Daily Mirror said it was a "multi-million pound deal".

When asked, the spokesman denied that the sponsorship deal with the club, known as The Blades, ran into millions of euros.

The agreement was announced last Thursday by the authority, which said this was the first time Malta had become the main sponsor of a prestigious football club. Sheffield United finished ninth in the Championship last season, after being relegated from the Premier League in 2007.

The agreement covers the forthcoming football season and includes Corporate Social Responsibility clauses and assistance in the setting up of a football academy in Malta.

The agreement includes a number of promotions for the island, including the stadium being branded with the visitmalta.com logo during Sheffield's Championship matches and a minimum of six, 30-second adverts shown on the electronic scoreboard during home games. The club's database will also be used for offers or promotions.

Malta international goalkeeper Justin Haber has just signed on with Sheffield Utd, thus further enhancing the club's connection with Malta.