'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With Arsenal announcing a new kit deal with Puma that is set to net them an eye-watering £30 million-per-season for the next five years, it seems as though they are doing well not just on the pitch, but off it as well. Whilst £150m is a lot of money in itself, to put things into perspective, the amount they will receive from Puma, is almost enough to buy a Mario Götze every season for the next five years. How Arsenal fans would love that.
In any case, the deal is reportedly the biggest in the history of the Premier League? But, is it the most valuable kit deal in the world? Let us take a look at where it ranks.
10. Manchester City – Nike
Current deal: £12m/year
Occupying the No.10 spot, perhaps surprisingly, given the millions of pounds they have spent on players is Manchester City. With FFP on the way, you would have expected their kit deal to be a lot better, but then again when you are bankrolled by billionaire owners, that doesn’t really matter, does it? In any case, when their current deal expires in 2019, they are sure to rocket up this list.
9. AC Milan – Adidas
Current deal: £12m/year
Whilst things may not be going according to plan for AC Milan on the pitch, at least off it, they are doing a lot better. Their current kit deal with Adidas that runs until 2017 sees them pocket a tidy £12 million each year. A deal that is enough, to land the likes of Keisuke Honda and perhaps a lot more as well as Clarence Seedorf looks to turn things around.
8. Inter Milan – Nike
Current deal: £15m/year
In another curious case of affairs, Inter Milan take home more from their kit deal, than their more illustrious rivals. Not only do they earn more, they are also having a far better time of it in the League. Must feel good to be an Inter fan right now. Their current deal expires in 2019 and expect them to just sneak up the rankings, if they continue their upward trajectory.
7. Bayern Munich – Adidas
Current deal: £16m/year
With the team currently third in the Deloitte football money league and flying high on the pitch, you would have thought that they’d have a bumper kit deal. But, unfortunately for Bayern, although they are partly owned by Adidas, their current deal with the German outfit is meager when compared to other European giants. When will this change?
6. Manchester United – Nike
Current deal: £23.5m/year
With a record-breaking £1 billion deal with Nike for 13 years beginning from the next season, the Red Devils have little worry about, even though they sit so low on this list. The new deal with Nike is said to be worth approximately £77 million annually, which is almost two-and-half times the current record deal. But, that is from next year, for now though, United have to make do with £23.5m and sixth place on this list.5. Liverpool – Warrior
Current deal: £25 million/year
Whilst there are plenty of reasons why the fans aren’t big fans of the current owners, perhaps one good thing to come out of FSG’s ownership of the Reds has to be their bumper kit deal. The American sports firm Warrior agreed to pay £25 million each year for the privilege of being their kit sponsors. Whilst considering the fact that they provide kits for just three other European teams, it surely is a pretty huge deal indeed.
4. Barcelona – Nike
Current deal value: £27 million/year
One of Europe’s most successful clubs in the recent past, has to make do with fourth place on the list, when you would have expected them to be higher up. However, they still pocket more than twice of what City (another Nike sponsored team) do. And £27m each year is still an awful lot of money.
3. Chelsea – Adidas
Current deal: £30 million/year
Sitting pretty in third place is Chelsea, after recently signing a humongous ten-year deal worth £300m with German giants Adidas. Until Arsenal’s new deal, this was the most expensive kit deal currently in place in the Premier League. Even if they were bundled off top spot, they still pocket a tidy £30 million every year, which is not bad at all.
2. Arsenal – Puma
Current deal: £30m/year
With their brand new record-breaking deal with Puma, Arsenal jump to second on the list. And given the fact that their current deal is just for five years, it would mean that they might well renegotiate a better deal by the time the current Chelsea deal expires.
1. Real Madrid – Adidas
Current deal: £31m/year
Clinching top spot, not by much, but by just enough is Real Madrid, who take home a smidgen over £31 million each year from Adidas until 2020. With the world’s most marketable player in their ranks, it should come as little surprise that they are top dogs, when it comes to kit deals. But, their reign as No.1 will be over next year when United’s new Nike deal kicks in, but until then it is the Galacticos, who leading the pack, in yet another list.
