Barcelona hold talks with sports manufacturing giant amid speculation of Nike partnership being broken

Over the last few weeks, there has been continued speculation over Barcelona’s shirt manufacturing situation. Nike have been with the Catalan giants since 1998, but in recent years, the relationship between the two parties has soured, which has led to reports that their agreement could end as early as this summer.

Barcelona’s deal with Nike expires in 2026, so this is the earliest that they would be able to end things without incurring a penalty payment. However, this hasn’t stopped them looking elsewhere, and according to Gerard Romero (via MD), they had a meeting with Puma this week.

Puma are reportedly prepared to pay Barcelona much more than they currently earn from Nike, which would be needed considering their ongoing financial woes. Joan Laporta was present at the meeting, which took place at a restaurant in the Catalan capital.

Barcelona are hamstrung with their Nike agreement for the next two years, and they will need to take a significant financial hit if they are to sign with a competitor from next season. It’s a big dilemma that is facing Laporta and co.