Manchester United in talks with adidas over world record £60m-per-year kit deal
* German sportswear giants adidas in pole position to clinch a world record kit deal with Manchester United
* A £60million-a-year has all but been agreed
* Nike's deal expires in June 2015 - they will decide if it is worth more than doubling their current deal which cost £300m for 10 years
* Negotiations with Nike have been going on for three years but their exclusive negotiating period expired last autumn
Adidas are in pole position to clinch a world record kit deal with Manchester United.
Senior insiders at the German sportswear giant believe a £60million-a-year deal has all but been agreed, even though current sponsors Nike retain the right to match any offer and extend a partnership that dates back to 2002 with United.
That, however, is thought to be unlikely when Nike are sure to question whether it is worth more than doubling their original £300m 10-year deal – which expires in June 2015 – when the deposed champions are going through this difficult period of transition.
New deal: Adidas could clinch a world record £60m-a-year kit deal with Manchester United
United officials met adidas executives in Germany after their recent Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich and senior figures from the sportswear brand have been attending recent matches at Old Trafford.
Negotiations with Nike have been going on for the last three years, but when their exclusive negotiating period expired last autumn that opened the door for companies like adidas and Warrior.
It is adidas who are now prepared to sign off the biggest football club kit deal in history in the belief that United’s global appeal remains undamaged by a disastrous domestic season that culminated in the dismissal of manager David Moyes.
Ed Woodward, the United executive vice chairman, has been busy recruiting a replacement, with Louis van Gaal’s appointment thought to be imminent.
But Woodward and the club's commercial director Richard Arnold know they need to sign off the next kit deal as soon as possible too, simply because the sheer demand for United merchandise means production needs to begin sooner rather than later.
A deal with adidas would still give United the freedom to create a separate fashion brand, with Japanese company Uniqlo thought to be close to completing their own deal.
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