Latest Liverpool news: Liverpool in talks with Nike over long-term kit deal

Sources have told ESPN FC that Premier League leaders Liverpool are in negotiations with Nike over a long-term kit deal that is expected to exceed Manchester United’s £750million deal with Adidas.

Should the deal be finalised, this would be the largest kit deal struck by a Premier League club, according to ESPN.

The report adds that the current kit manufacturers, New Balance, have a “matching clause” within the contract. This allows them to match any rival offer and continue their deal. ESPN claims that the current deal is worth £45m-a-year and is set to expire at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Liverpool working hard to get the right deal

The report adds that the Reds have also spoken with Adidas and Puma to get the best deal. However, Negotiations are “deep” with Nike as the club tries to complete the contract before the final year of the New Balance deal comes into play.

Barcelona earn £100m-a-year with their 10-year Nike deal and Liverpool are not expected to command such a figure, according to the report.

There were fears that the market had been saturated by large value deals from other clubs, and that would hurt Liverpool’s chances of securing a big money deal (h/t ESPN).

Naby Keita of Liverpool — Naby Keita celebrates against Porto

The report claims that there is a rarity value of their kit deal, and the rise in prominence of the club’s brand value under Jurgen Klopp and stars such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have strengthened their position in securing a great deal.

Liverpool currently lead the Premier League and look favourites to make it to the Champions League semi-finals after their 2-0 win over Porto in the first leg.