SPANISH side Espanyol have dropped shirt sponsor Riviera Maya in favour of LD Sports.

Espanyol’s agreement with Riviera Maya was set to run until 2023, having signed a six-year contract with them back in 2017.

However, LD Sports have doubled what the Mexican tourism board were paying per annum and offered just over £3.5m.

The contract Espanyol signed is for a two-year period, with the Chinese digital content brand having the option to extend it by another 24 months should it prove to be a fruitful partnership.

LD Sports became Saints’ main sponsor during the summer when they replaced Virgin Media, reportedly paying £7.5m per year to adorn the St Mary’s side’s shirt.

This was a record-breaking deal for the south coast club, which gave them an injection of cash that put them on a par with other Premier League sides.

There were initial concerns over the deal after they hadn’t officially launched when it was announced back in May.

But with their website up and running, it now has dedicated content surrounding both Saints and Espanyol.

At the recent BBC Solent fans’ forum, managing director Toby Steele was questioned about what LF Sports will do for Saints supporters.

This stemmed from previous main sponsor, Virgin Media, putting on ‘Super Saints’ events throughout the season.

But Steele confirmed that LD Sports are focusing on the Asian market and will, therefore, be putting the majority of their focus, at this time, on growing their brand over there.