Manchester United and Real Madrid’s kit deals are with Adidas. The German brand has an agreement to manufacture the respective club’s jersey’s but the value of the contract signed by both teams is vastly different.
The Red Devils recently signed a mammoth €96 million contract with the German sports brand which is the highest ever, eclipsing the one Real Madrid currently have with the same company.
Los Blancos have become aware of this and are reportedly unhappy with the situation. United and Real Madrid are the biggest brands in world football, but United have done poorly when compared to their Spanish counterparts in the last few seasons.
But they still rake in more money in kit deals than Madrid, something the club might not be comfortable with. Adidas’ competitors Nike have decided to take advantage of this situation and offer Madrid an even bigger deal of around €100 million, which would ultimately end their current partnership with Adidas.
Director of OKdario, Eduardo Inda is the one reporting this after he gave a statement to El Chiringuito saying, “Madrid have a contract with Adidas and they've found out that United have signed a huge contract with the same brand. The club are the champions of Europe, while United have won nothing. That's provoked Nike into offering Madrid 120 million euros per season.”
Nike are currently the kit manufacturers for Real Madrid rivals Barcelona. If they bag Real Madrid as well, it would mean the biggest two clubs in Spain will be in their pockets. It is still unknown if Adidas will come up with a better offer to ensure Nike doesn’t intervene.
Madrid signed for Adidas in 1998, around the same time Barcelona signed with Nike. A new deal with Nike would end the almost 20-year rivalry, and would almost completely monopolize the Spanish football market.
United have made good use of that money this transfer window, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joining the club. So far, the move to spend big seems to have worked out with the team looking like title favourites.
The derby against Manchester City this Saturday will act as an indicator as to where both clubs currently lie and which team are in a better position to challenge for the title. With Aguero out injured it might be advantage United this weekend, but Guardiola could have a trick or two up his sleeve.
