Marcus Rashford of Manchester United in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, U.K., on March 20, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images)
English soccer club Manchester United is set to face its neighboring rival Manchester City in Beijing this summer as part of their pre-season tour in China.
Manchester United will spend eight days in China to play against City and German club Borussia Dortmund for the International Champions Cup, the London-based Daily Express said in a report posted on Tuesday.
It will be the first time both Manchester clubs will pay against each other overseas.
Manchester City, led by its new boss Pep Guardiola, are also in China for their pre-season tour following their partnership with a consortium of Chinese firms, who purchased a 13-percent stake in the club earlier this season, and a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping to their training complex in October the previous year.
Since its first visit to China in 1975, United has made a total of nine trips to the country, playing 12 games against local teams in the intervening years.
The most recent game was against Hong Kong's Kitchee SC in July 2013, where more than 40,000 fans packed a sold-out stadium with millions more watching the game live on television across Asia.
Manchester United Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward said the club has historical links with China and enjoys a strong relationship with Chinese fans.
"A total of almost 500,000 supporters have attended previous games during our visits to China and we have always enjoyed exceptional support in the country, so naturally it is something that everybody is very much looking forward to this summer," Ed said.
Greg Case, chief executive of British multinational insurance firm Aon, which is sponsoring United's tour in China, said, "We recognize the journey to greatness starts with preparation well before the match."
"We are excited to present the Manchester United Tour 2016 in China and look forward to helping the club in any way we can," Case added.
