Liverpool are set to shatter the Premier League record as they prepare to land new kit manufacturer.
Liverpool are set to land Nike as their kit manufacturer as New Balance’s contract expires in 2020. The Reds have been approached by Adidas and Puma, but Nike are desperate to have a covenant with the English outfit.
Ever reliable ESPN states that Nike are willing to break the bank to exceed the value of Manchester United’s 750 pounds million agreement with Adidas and became the biggest ever struck by a Premier League club. Puma outbid Nike for Manchester City, who signed 650 million deal in a deal involving a ten-year contract.
New Balance have a “matching clause” within their contract which enables them to retain and extend their deal by equalling any rival offer. The club are deep into negotiations with Nike as they attempt to reach an agreement before the New Balance contract enters its final year.
Barcelona’s £100m-a-year, 10-year deal with Nike, which began in 2018, is the biggest in football, eclipsing the £980m-a-year, 10-year deal struck between Real Madrid and Adidas in 2015.
While Liverpool are unlikely to clinch a package of the same magnitude of Barcelona and Real Madrid, market research commissioned by the club’s managing director, Billy Hogan, has shown that the five-time European champions can command a deal at the same level, or even higher, than United.
The club has been told that the rarity value of their kit deal becoming available, combined with the prominence of the Liverpool brand, driven by manager Jurgen Klopp and star players Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Roberto Firmino, has strengthened their ability to secure a deal that would put them in the same bracket as football’s global elite.
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Liverpool will be aiming to recoup more than Manchester United’s amount, thanks to the renaissance under their manager Jurgen Klopp. The Reds were ditched by Adidas when the club were struggling for Champions League football under the management of the short-lived Roy Hodgson.
