City to renegotiate kit deal with Nike

Manchester City are on the verge of opening talks with Nike to renegotiate the club’s £12 million-a-year kit deal with the American sportswear giants.


Having signed their agreement with Nike in April 2012, the Premier League champions still have three years left to run on their current deal.

But with the club winning two Premier League titles and a Capital One Cup since linking up with Nike, and also establishing themselves as regular Champions League participants, City’s commercial value has grown and the club are ready to exploit their enhanced status by negotiating a package which better reflects their status.

With neighbours Manchester United agreeing a £75m-a-year kit deal with adidas, which replaces their £23m-a-year Nike deal on August 1, the market rate for kit deals has rocketed since City signed their agreement with Nike.

And with Nike losing United and Arsenal from their Premier League portfolio over the past two years, there is a determination to ensure they retain the most prominent club in their stable.

Although City have become a more globally-recognised outfit in recent years, they are unlikely to rival the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, who have contracts worth £30m-a-year and £25m-a-year with Puma and Warrior respectively, when it comes to boosting their deal with Nike.

But a new agreement worth in the region of £20m-a-year is within City’s reach and could be thrashed out before the start of next season.

Any improvement in City’s deal with Nike would boost the club’s finances at a time when the complex structure of its parent company, City Football Group, is being investigated by Uefa.


By Mark Ogden / Telegraph