Rory McIlroy could soon join Tiger Woods in the Nike stable in a deal thought to be worth £156m over 10 years Nike invariably insists on exclusivity of branding on clothing and can afford to place such demands on their "ambassadors" having raked in close to $22 billion (£13.7 million) in merchandise sales in 2011. Having backed the likes of Woods and the discredited Lance Armstrong, and others such as the quarterback Michael Vick, imprisoned for his part in a dogfighting ring, it is probably time for the sportswear giants to sign a fresh face with a clean reputation. McIlroy certainly boasts those. In a recent study, SportsPro, a multimedia communications firm, named McIlroy as the second most marketable athlete in the world behind the Brazilian footballer Neymar. That standing would be confirmed if McIlroy was to secure the level of Nike endorsement widely being discussed on the range. In 1996, Woods signed a deal worth $40 million (£25 million) over five years, while in 2001 Woods signed another for $105 million (£65.6 million) over the same period. His current deal is worth at least that, although it is doubtful McIlroy would earn more, despite Woods coming up to his 37th birthday. Woods and McIlroy, who have become increasingly friendly over the last year, will likely be marketed as a pair by Nike, just as they are by EA Sports, who signed McIlroy to a deal that sees him jointly endorse their 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour" computer game. McIlroy is competing in this week's BMW Masters in Shanghai. Woods, the world No 2, is competing in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the borders of professional golf will extend deeper into Eastern Europe next season, with the news that the Volvo World Matchplay Championship is held to be held in Bulgaria.