Barcelona have no shortage of ongoing sagas currently occupying them, and their shirt sponsor is the latest. The Blaugrana have reportedly set a deadline for the next two weeks to come to a decision on whether they will stick with Nike, accept an offer from Puma, or decide to manufacture their own kits next season.
The latter is reportedly still on the table, and MD say that they have carried out a study looking into the potential cost of producing their own kits, despite various industry experts claiming that it is near-impossible to set up a production and distribution chain in such a short space of time.
Meanwhile the Blaugrana are reportedly receiving €66m per season from current sponsor Nike, although previous reports situate that figure at €84-104m depending on the number of kits sold. They have a contract until 2026, with an option to extend until 2028. However Barcelona are in legal proceedings against Nike, alleging breaches of contract. They say Nike had 45 days to compensate the club, after which they communicated the dissolution of their contract, and the American sportswear brand took legal action against that move – the courts will decide which side is correct, and a verdict is expected next week.
Part of the reason they have not moved on yet is the fact that it would cost them €40-50m to terminate the deal with Nike. Yet the offer from Puma appears to be substantially better. The German brand will offer a €100m signing bonus, €100m per year plus €20m in variables, on a 10-year deal.
Similar happened with Nike. Their current contract is a 10-year deal, but with inflation and increasing revenue, the deal Barcelona have has looked smaller and smaller relative to their competitors of late. Signing another 10-year deal would give the short-term boost of cash needed for the Blaugrana, but they risk being in a similar situation down the line.
The post Gap between Puma and Nike offers for Barcelona shirt as high as €54m per year – report appeared first on Football España.
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