Kelme look set to make their Premier League debut, with news that Watford shunned an extension with current supplier adidas to sign a new four-year kit deal with the Chinese-owned brand, worth a reported £10 million.
Watford’s current three-year deal with adidas expires at the end of the season, and while that is worth an estimated £750,000 per year, that figure is set to rise to as much as £2.5 million per year under the terms of the new deal with Kelme. Despite the season looking like it will run past the end of the club’s deal with the Three Stripes, it is likely that the Hornets will complete proceedings in their current kit before donning the new Kelme strip at the start of the 2020/21 campaign – whenever that may be.
Kelme, founded in Spain but now under Chinese ownership, are probably best known in football circles for their ill-fated shark skin boots. They already supply kits to Alaves and Espanyol in La Liga, and Watford are hopeful that their smaller portfolio will offer the chance to create a more unique strip than with adidas.
But further than that, Watford are eyeing up the opportunity to expand their appeal in the Asian market. Kelme has developed to become a household name in the East, thanks mainly to the sponsorship of China’s League One and League Two (the second and third tier of competition in the country) as well as collaborations with teams from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam and Bhutan. The strong link with China, therefore, could actually offer a greater level of importance to Watford than the actual finances put on the table, although it’s all part and parcel of what looks to be a promising deal for the Hornets.
Expect an official announcement from the club in the coming weeks, with the first Kelme Watford kits to follow soon after.
