International press reacts to FC Barcelona's sponsorship deal with Rakuten

It's safe to say that FC Barcelona's new sponsorship deal with the Japanese firm, Rakuten, did not go unnoticed. The four-year deal, worth €55m annually plus incentives made quite a splash in the global press, garnering much-deserved attention around the world, both in general news outlets as well as in the realms of sports and finance.

Here are the highlights, including a mix of headlines and notable quotes:

The Nikkei Asian Review: 'Barcelona have agreed a new four-year deal for their shirt sponsorship with Japanese internet retailer Rakuten worth 55 million euros ($58.90 million) a year excluding potential add-ons, La Liga champions said on Wednesday.'

The Financial Times: 'Rakuten ups its brand game with €220m Barcelona sponsorship'

The BBC: "It is one of the biggest football shirt sponsorships yet seen and could make Barcelona wealthier than Real Madrid, currently the world's richest club.

The Mail Online: 'Barcelona unveil new sponsor Rakuten in £200m, four-year mega-deal... but it could have been Manchester City if they had agreed to play in red.'

Reuters: 'Barcelona sign new four-year sponsorship deal with Rakuten'

The Guardian: 'Speaking at the press conference to announce the deal Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Barcelona president, said the defender Gerard Piqué and his wife Shakira helped the club to negotiate the deal with the Rakuten chief executive, Hiroshi Mikitani.'

ESPN: 'Barcelona's Rakuten sponsorship includes deal for friendly in Japan'

CNBC: 'Barcelona -- once renowned for never having had a sponsor on their shirts -- will earn an additional 1.5 million euros for each time they win La Liga and an additional 5 million euros Champions League each time they win the Champions League.'

Goal.com: 'President Pique! Barcelona defender set up sponsorship meeting'