THE Scottish Professional Football League are understood to be hawking round the rights to sponsor the country's top four divisions at a price of £1.75m-a-year.

The Hampden-based body have not had a main financial backer since the Scottish Premier League merged with the Scottish Football League last June with a senior figure inside the organisation confirming that hundreds of companies have been approached.

However, a deal has not been done as yet and reports that broke earlier this week, stating that a little-known mobile device-based gambling firm were close to finalising an agreement, appear considerably wide of the mark.

The SPFL admit that they have had a degree of contact with the company in question, but negotiations have not progressed from there and are certainly nowhere near any kind of advanced stage.

The Press Association reported last night that they have been given access to emails in which the SPFL's head of partnerships, Keith Campbell, appears to outline the financial package required to win the rights to become the primary sponsor of the domestic league set-up.

The leaked emails show early, written negotiations with a potential sponsor but, apart from the fee and a suggested three-year agreement, they are short on detail.

In one email sent on December 16, Campbell wrote: "The fee for the Title sponsorship of the four Scottish leagues is £1.75m, though this is subject to an agreed rights package."

Sources close to the SPFL believe the leaking of the emails has been part of a wider publicity stunt.

"Talks are live with a number of brands regarding title sponsorship of the SPFL and these discussions will continue in the new year," said a league spokesman.

"We were delighted to confirm QTS as presenting partner for the Scottish League Cup earlier this month and our focus is on securing further support with the right brands across SPFL competitions in 2015."

The SPL's last sponsorship deal with Clydesdale Bank, which was worth approximately £2m-a-year, expired around the same time as their merger with the SFL, as did the lower league body's package with Irn-Bru.

Barry Hearn, the founder and chairman of Matchroom Sport, appeared at a Scottish FA convention in November and expressed his own view on the SPFL's continued failure to bring in badly-needed investment through sponsorship.

"The fact that the Scottish Premier League has no sponsor is not good," he said. "Put it this way, if you worked for me, you'd be sacked."