Liverpool signs new kit manufacturing deal with Adidas
Ahead of the 2025/26 season, Liverpool will cancel its manufacturing deal with Nike, instead opting for Adidas. SportBusiness is reporting that Liverpool will join the German clothing company for five years. In doing so, Liverpool will become the seventh Premier League team to wear Adidas clothing, although that could change at other clubs. Currently, Arsenal, Fulham, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest wear Adidas kits. Newcastle and Aston Villa are also joining the Adidas ship in 2024/25, one year before Liverpool.
Liverpool has been under the Nike umbrella for a relatively short period. Nike started producing Liverpool’s kits in the 2020/21 season, immediately after the club won its first Premier League title, and 19th English top-flight crown ever. Nike’s takeover came off the back of Liverpool winning a court case against incumbent kit provider New Balance. New Balance claimed matching rights to Nike’s bid. Yet, Liverpool won the case, allowing it to join Nike. That deal expires following the 2024/25 season. Fittingly, Liverpool’s next kit manufacturing deal is also worth five years.
Adidas will be the exclusive provider of Liverpool’s in-game apparel from 2025/26 through the 2029/30 season. There is no official figure for how much Adidas will pay Liverpool each season. Given the rising cost of goods and the growing value of these manufacturing deals, the figure will be high. SportBusiness projects the annual fee to be higher than what it earns currently from Nike.
Adidas beats the rest to sign lucrative Liverpool deal
With New Balance, Liverpool earned just over $31 million per season. Currently, Nike pays Liverpool $37 million each season. However, Liverpool also profits from royalties on kit sales, which means the actual figure is above $62 million per year. The total figure from Adidas will likely be higher than that. Still, it is unlikely that Liverpool will earn as much as Manchester United’s record-setting deal with Adidas. The Red Devils pocket over $110 million per season from Adidas, and Liverpool should fall well short of that, according to the report.
Adidas is not new to providing Liverpool with kits. On two occasions, the German manufacturer was the kit provider for the Merseyside outfit. Yet, it has been decades. The most recent stint linking Liverpool and Adidas ran from 2006 through 2012. Those were relatively unsuccessful years for Liverpool which saw it win only the Community Shield and League Cup in Adidas garb. The other instance was from 1985 to 1996. That was far more successful for the Reds. Liverpool won three league titles, three FA Cups and a League Cup in that span. Additionally, Liverpool lifted the Community Shield four times in that run.
While the two have history, Adidas was far from alone in vying for the Liverpool manufacturing deal. According to SportBusiness, Puma was “at the table” in discussions. However, Puma elected to stick with Manchester City as its sole Premier League team. There is no word on whether Nike wanted to re-up on its deal with Liverpool. The American firm just took over the rights to be the kit manufacturer for the German national team. Consequently, it replaced Adidas in that role.
That deal with the German soccer association, or DFB, is worth roughly the same as what Nike had been paying Liverpool. The Germany-Nike deal is worth $54.3 million per year in total.
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