Liverpool are set to return to Adidas as its kit supplier starting from the 2025/26 season reuniting the two after a 13 year hiatus and marking a shift in the club’s branding strategy.
This new deal comes after Liverpool’s current partnership with Nike which began in the 2020/21 season, ends following the present campaign. The agreement with Adidas is expected to last for 5 years, running till the end of the 2029/30 season.
Financial aspect of Liverpool’s kit deals
Looking at this new deal and previous deals from a financial standpoint, Liverpool is set to receive a bump in terms of annual payment from Adidas.
During the New Balance era, the Reds reportedly received a 25 million pound base fee per year. Nike took-over this deal after a court battle, in a deal valued at 30 million pound base fee, which can be classed as a relatively low sum for a top tier kit deal, with Nike having deals with rival clubs like Chelsea valued at 60 million pounds per year.
Although, taking into account merchandise sales and royalty on sportswear the Nike deal can be estimated to push the annual figure to 50 million pounds a year.
Adidas enter into this deal aiming to recapture markets after their shock loss of the German national team kit deal to Nike, with Nike almost offering double than what Adidas did. Reports suggest the new Adidas-Liverpool deal would be higher than the approximate 50 million paid out under the Nike contract.
However, this new deal falls well short of rivals Manchester United, who receive a whopping £90 million after their renewed deal with the German giants in July 2023, and also Arsenal, whose deal is valued at £75 million per season. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, another Adidas partner, earns an estimated £110 million annually, highlighting the disparity between top-tier Adidas deals.
Given Liverpool’s global stature and success, they should ideally be positioned to earn more than Arsenal but likely less than Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Player Endorsements
Along with kit sponsorship, Adidas also recently signed Liverpool right back Trent Alexander Arnold to a lucrative boot deal reported at 26 million, further extending their reach in the English market.
The defender who has his own signature edition Predator 24 known as Pure Strike, joins other Liverpool players like Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota who have all been seen in Adidas commercials and sporting the Adidas X Crazyfast.1 boots.
This Adidas deal opens up the opportunity for many, younger players like Harvey Elliott to jump ship from brands like New Balance and become the face of the new look Liverpool. It also poses a chance for Adidas to sign big names like Van Dijk and Robertson away from their Nike deals into their Predator campaign.
This new Adidas deal could also play a crucial role in encouraging Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, both of whom in the final years of their contracts, to renew with Liverpool.
Revisiting Collaborations
Adidas has had 2 tenures as kit sponsors for Liverpool, 1985-96 and 2006-12, producing some pristine looking kits during the span of both deals.
Possibly the most iconic Liverpool kit, is the 1989-91 Liverpool x Adidas home kit. The retro classic with its white iconic flashes and Candy sponsor remains a favourite amongst fans even today.
During the same era, Adidas produced another banger in the form of the 95/96 away shirt. The kit features a quadrant style split design in green and white as alternating colours, including the classic Liverpool crest and Carlsberg as the shirt sponsor.
Although Adidas could incorporate these two into newer designs, both these retro kits have been recreated in some capacity by New Balance, and the 95/96 away one more recently by Nike.
Adidas could bring back the peak EQT (Adidas Equipment) design era, paying homage to the 93-95 away shirt. The snazzy green kit with a central Liverpool and Adidas badge allows the three black stripes to flow elegantly through the sides.
Diving into concept kits
The announcement of the Adidas x Liverpool deal has gotten designers excited as well, who have taken to twitter with interesting concept kit designs
Kit trends in the recent past have moved into a more template design concept, with brands having base templates for multiple clubs and then making minor changes to designs and incorporating club colours for the final kit.
This wave has reduced the number of artsy kits and limits design language and creativity.
But concept kits like the one posted by user LFCDZN11 offer a fresh perspective that also has a nostalgic element, making it a perfect blend between past and present. The kit is a tribute to the iconic 89/90 Candy kit.
The red home shirt with the white geometric flashes across the front give the retro look along with the modern three striped Adidas logo and Liverpool crest in white as well. Fans adore this design but feel it could reach new levels with Carlsberg as the sponsor.
Another mock-up by LFCDZN11 and Footy Headlines features Adidas stripes in white on the shoulder and centralized club and sponsor badges, taking it back to the 92/93 away kit, while keeping dark green as the base colour rather than the light green that features in the retro kit.
Carlsberg wishes won’t be granted anytime soon as Standard Chartered are set as the sponsor at least until 2027.
Adidas could potentially design kits that will take the world by storm, all by just picking up design elements like the Candy flashes, the central Adidas badge and the 95/96 away jersey Liverpool crest.
In reality Adidas is likely to take little to no notice of these concept designs and only subtly hint at retro designs, making them more likely to take 25/26 strip in a new direction.