Liverpool have won their court battle against current kit suppliers, New Balance, meaning that the Reds will be wearing Nike kits as of the 2020/21 season as part of a multi-million-pound deal.
The Reds had been taken to the High Court by New Balance after the sports brand accused the club of refusing to honour a clause in their current contract which would have allowed them to match any rival offers from other brands. Liverpool apparently believed that New Balance would not be able to match the offer put on the table by Nike, but New Balance had argued that that was not the case.
But the European champions, who have been offered a five-year, £30m-per-annum deal by Nike, argued that New Balance could not match the American rival's offer in relation to the marketing and distribution of Liverpool products. That was not the feeling of officials at New Balance, but at the conclusion of the three-day case, the judge has dismissed the case, paving the way for the Nike deal to proceed.
A Liverpool spokesperson said: "The club is pleased with the judge's decision to rule in favour of the club following the legal dispute with our current kit supplier, New Balance. We will continue with New Balance for the current season, in combination with preparing next season's Liverpool kits with our new supplier.”
On the face of it, £30 million is a huge deficit not only on the current £45 million-a-year deal from New Balance, but also on rivals deals, with Manchester United raking in £75 million with adidas and Tottenham and Chelsea supposedly accruing annual fees of £50 million. But Liverpool’s deal includes a promise of 20 percent royalties on net sales of all LFC goods, which would hugely boost the financial promise of the arrangement, and it is for this reason that the Merseyside club were keen to make the move. With those royalties in mind, the club clearly predict that they'll be in and around the figures being raked in by the likes of Man United.
Let the "It's only £30m cos Nike are funding the Mbappe transfer" rumours commence...
Watch this space to see the first-ever Nike-produced Liverpool kit as and when it drops.
