One of the worst-kept secrets in football was officially confirmed on Monday with the news that Adidas will replace Nike as Liverpool FC’s kit supplier later this year.
It had been informally known for months that the German brand would be linking up with the Reds once more following the end of this season, and LFC announced today that the partnership will take effect from 1 August, with The Times‘ Paul Joyce reporting that it could be worth £60m+ to the club annually.
The start date is notable, given that most new kit deals commence in June when clubs are in between seasons, but there could be a viable reason as to why the Merseysiders’ changeover won’t happen until later in the summer.
Why is Liverpool’s new Adidas deal not starting until 1 August?
Gregg Evans explained one theory as to the August start date in an in-depth article for The Athletic examining the particulars of Liverpool’s new deal with Adidas.
He outlined: ‘It’s likely that the terms of Liverpool’s former contract with Nike have played a part in the new start date.
‘Nike’s five-year deal had been due to start in June 2020 but was delayed due to the global pandemic with Liverpool completing the extended 2019-20 title-winning season in their New Balance kit before making the switch.
‘The late start date means that Liverpool are set to begin their pre-season schedule in the current Nike kit before officially making the move just two weeks before the 2025-26 season gets underway.’
Hopefully the Adidas deal will be worth the wait!
That seems the most logical explanation as to why the Adidas deal isn’t commencing until 1 August, the date which’d mark the termination of the full five-year contract with Nike.
Due to the delayed finish to the 2019/20 Premier League season, the American brand sportingly agreed to defer the start of their agreement with Liverpool by two months so that New Balance would have the glory of making the kits in which the trophy was lifted at Anfield five years ago.
Nike’s association with the Reds looks set to end as it began, with LFC as champions of England, and this time it seems that their logo will be visible when looking back at images of our 20th league title being celebrated.
Adidas and Liverpool have a long-standing crossover owing to the German manufacturer’s two previous contracts with the Merseyside club, from 1985 to 1996 and then again from 2006 to 2012.
The kits produced during those years are associated with numerous Anfield legends such as John Barnes, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Steven Gerrard, and those classic designs have stood the test of time to secure a place in supporters’ affections.
Judging by some of the rumoured kit designs for the new Adidas deal, it looks as though the wait until August will be very much worth it!
