Liverpool and Nike negotiations to begin with hopes of £80m return and time running out on kit deal

Over the course of the next year Liverpool will start the process of engaging Nike over extending the existing partnership between the two.

Back in 2019 the Reds won a battle at the High Court in London to extricate themselves from their previous deal with New Balance after the Boston firm had sought to activate a clause that would allow them to extend the partnership should they match a rival offer.

In the end it was determined that while Nike were paying a lower guaranteed annual sum of around £30m it was the world’s largest sportswear company’s ability to deliver at scale, and the commitment to the Reds receiving 20 per cent of the proceeds of Liverpool/Nike branded merchandise that proved key. Throw into the mix the leverage that they had through a star client list that included the likes of rapper Drake, tennis star Serena Williams and basketball icon and Fenway Sports Group partner LeBron James and it was a deal that gave Liverpool huge options.

The contract is set to run until the end of the 2024/25 season but discussions will start over how to progress over the course of the coming season. There is a desire on both sides to extend the partnership well into the future to make it a long-standing one given how valuable it has been for the club thus far, and how the extensions to the deal, such as the LeBron x Liverpool collection and the link-up with Nike-owned Converse have been received and opened the club and Nike up to new markets.

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The commercial benefits for Liverpool are now being seen. While the individual