Starting from next season, Manchester United will be under a record-breaking technical sponsorship contract with Adidas. Over 10 years, they will receive £900 million. However, this amount may be less if the team’s performance on the field is not as successful. With these conditions, Manchester United has an additional incentive to perform better in the following seasons. So you can Mostbet download and bet on the Red Devils’ victories.
In the world of football, this contract is only the third-largest
The details of the agreement were outlined in the club’s semi-annual financial report, which caught the attention of The Times. An intriguing condition stipulates that for every season without participation in the Champions League, Adidas will deduct £10 million from the total annual payment – instead of £90 million, the club will receive £80 million.
In the current contract, penalties for non-participation in the Champions League were also included, but the conditions for their activation were different. If Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League for two consecutive seasons, the Adidas payout would immediately decrease by 30% (£22 million). However, such serious measures were never implemented because Manchester United didn’t miss out on the Champions League for two consecutive years.
The contract not only includes penalties but also bonuses. For example, if the men’s or women’s team wins the domestic championship or a European cup, Adidas will pay bonuses for the season – these bonuses could amount to up to £4.4 million.
Manchester United needs to step up their game: this season, securing a Champions League spot might be achievable even with a fifth-place finish. However, as of now, Ten Hag’s team is in sixth place.
The new contract with Adidas was signed by Manchester United on July 31, 2023. The annual payments to the club increased from £75 million to £90 million. This new decade-long deal was immediately hailed as a record in Premier League history: £900 million over 10 years had never been paid to anyone before.
What about competitors? Let’s compare the conditions of other top clubs for similar contracts
For most clubs, the figures are weighted averages: Manchester United is one of the few clubs with a fixed payment, which can also change depending on successes/failures on the field.
Liverpool has a complex scheme: they receive £30 million fixed from Nike and a percentage of sales – averaging £70-80 million per year. The exact end date of the contract is not specified, but several authoritative sources mention 2025. And likely, the club will orient itself to the Adidas and Manchester United agreement in new negotiations.
According to UEFA’s financial report, Liverpool and Manchester United lead among English clubs in kit and merchandise sales last season. They are above Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, with a significant gap from Arsenal.
Manchester City’s contract also ends relatively soon – in 2028. On one hand, the club is breaking Premier League records, winning the Champions League, and demonstrating record profits. However, in UEFA’s financial report for the 2022/23 season, City ranks only 11th in shirt and merchandise sales (below the entire English top 5 and above Borussia Dortmund).
This could also influence the signing of a new agreement.
Barcelona, despite having one of the fattest contracts with a kit supplier, wants to terminate the agreement with Nike and move to Puma. The issue stems from financial problems: Laporta needs more money.
Puma is willing to pay compensation and has promised Barcelona €20-30 million more than Nike. A delegation from the German company has already flown to Barcelona to discuss terms.
Puma is ready to outfit Barcelona only from the 2025/26 season, so the club will be without a kit for one season. There was even consideration given to the possibility that Barcelona would produce their kit for that year, but it’s unlikely. More likely, they’ll turn to Hummel if Nike doesn’t improve its offer soon.