Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh is close to sealing a deal with tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi's sports marketing agency Globosport after his seven-year contract with Percept Talent Management ends in a few weeks.
The move could prompt Percept taking Yuvaraj Singh to court because it is believed to have the first right to refusal to match the Globosport offer.
While Globosport declined to comment, it is learnt that Yuvi has been offered Rs 10 crore a year as a minimum guarantee to seal the deal 60 per cent higher than what he is getting now.
Anirban Das Blah, vice- president of Globosport, was tight-lipped. However, Percept Talent Management's COO Vinita Bangard said, "We have spoken to Yuvraj Singh for a renewed association, he still has to revert."
Percept has been involved in court cases with Zaheer Khan and Sourav Ganguly. The image management company lost Khan's case, but Ganguly stayed on after Percept matched the amount rival agency Nimbus Communications was offering.
Former Indian captain Ganguly, bowler S Sreesanth and Yuvaraj Singh are with Percept. Sreesanth's contract will end early 2008.
When a cricketer comes on board with a sports management company, he usually gets a minimum guaranteed amount for three to five years.
When an endorsement deal is signed, the agency gets 15 per cent commission on the total value of the deal.
Experts said Yuvraj Singh and M S Dhoni can rake in an annual minimum guarantee of Rs 10 crore, closing in on Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid who get Rs 12 crore to Rs 15 crore. Master blaster Sachin gets close to Rs 20 crore for a year.
Yuvraj Singh endorses around ten brands that include Microsoft, Reebok, Pepsi, Donear Suitings, Marico, SBI Cards, Trent, Seagram and Hero Honda