Liverpool’s iconic red strip will be made by Adidas for the first time in over a decade after the club and the German sportswear giant agreed a £60m-per-season deal.
Adidas will replace Nike, whose five-year deal concludes at the end of this season. The club have had deals with both Warrior and New Balance since their previous Adidas agreement, which ran from 2006 to 2012. Liverpool also wore Adidas between 1985 and 1996.
The five-year agreement could net Liverpool £300m, assuming it reaches its completion.
“Everyone at the club is incredibly excited to welcome Adidas back into the LFC family,” said Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan. “We have enjoyed fantastic success together in the past and created some of the most iconic LFC kits of all time.”
The agreement begins on 1 August, meaning Liverpool could still be in Nike-branded kit for pre-season matches and when they clinch this year’s Premier League title – barring a hugely unlikely collapse.
Liverpool swap kits
“Adidas and Liverpool share an ambition of success and we couldn’t be more excited to partner together again as we look forward to creating more incredible kits to help drive on-pitch performance,” Hogan added. “We’d like to thank Nike for their support over the last five years and wish them well for the future.”
Manchester United have the most valuable deal in the Premier League, reportedly worth around £90m per season with the same German manufacturer, while Arsenal (£75m, Adidas) and Manchester City (£65m, Puma) will generate more per year than Liverpool’s new deal.
It puts the Reds on a similar per-season valuation as Chelsea, whose Nike kit reportedly nets them £60m each year.
Added Adidas chief executive Bjorn Gulden: “We are extremely excited that Adidas and Liverpool Football Club are teaming up once again. The club is one of the biggest and most iconic names in world football with a huge fan base.
“The jerseys worn during previous partnerships are some of the greatest ever created. We are honoured to once again provide the players with cutting-edge technology to perform at the highest level and are looking forward to creating more classics for the fans.”