Chelsea confirm Nike kit deal worth £60m a season

Chelsea confirm kit deal with Nike worth £60m a season until 2032

• Premier League club announces new deal to replace Adidas
• ‘This is an incredibly exciting and important deal for the club’

Chelsea have confirmed they have signed a new kit deal with Nike, which is believed to be worth an estimated £60m a season for the next 15 years.

The Londoners have been in negotiations with the American sportswear giants since confirming they would be ending their current agreement with Adidas six years early back in May. Chelsea had to pay around £40m to part company with the German firm but that will easily be covered by the new deal, which is due to come into effect next season.

The club described the signing of the new technical partnership as “the largest commercial deal in the club’s history”, with Nike producing kits for the first team, academy and ladies’ teams throughout the “long-term agreement”, which is understood to last until 2032. At around £60m a season, that means Chelsea will receive £900m from Nike over the next 15 years.

“This is an incredibly exciting and important deal for the club,” said director Marina Granovskaia.

“Like Chelsea, Nike is known around the world for its excellence and innovation and we look forward to working together in what is sure to be a successful partnership. We believe Nike will be able to support our growth into new markets as well as helping us maintain our place among the world’s elite football clubs.”

Trevor Edwards, president of the Nike brand, said: “Chelsea is a world-class club with a rich tradition and passionate fans across the globe. The partnership with Chelsea reinforces our leadership position in football. We are excited to help grow the club’s global reach, serving players and supporters with Nike innovation and design.”

The agreement with Nike dwarfs Chelsea’s previous deal with Adidas, which was worth £30m a season. But that still pales in comparison with Real Madrid - who earlier this year agreed a 10-year deal with Adidas worth around £106m every season – while Manchester United’s contract with Adidas, which was signed in July 2014, is worth a minimum £750m over 10 years.

Chelsea’s deal is believed to have been negotiated directly with Granovskaia, who is owner Roman Abramovich’s closest adviser.

Guardian