The key to New Balance winning their court battle to remain as Liverpool’s kit manufacturer hinges on their ability to make a convincing argument about their distribution capabilities, according to the Echo.
The American sportswear giant are currently embroiled with Nike in a tussle for the right to represent the Reds, and it is understood that a large part of the argument will rest on which company can offer the club a greater opportunity to expand their brand through making sales to a wider audience.
A piece in the Echo reads: “”For New Balance, the key is convincing the judge that questions around future distribution potential is irrelevant to whether New Balance can meet the “material, measurable and matchable terms” of the Nike offer.
“If New Balance, which is currently selling Liverpool products in around 4,000 doors and smashing sales records, manage to persuade the judge that a further 2,000 is within relatively easy reach it could be enough.”
OPINION
You can’t help feeling that the Reds would much rather go with Nike given the choice, and that means that New Balance are facing a real uphill battle here. Not only are Nike a giant of the industry, but they also claim to have registered a 27% spike in Chinese sales last year, according to the Echo. Targeting those Asian markets could be seismic for Liverpool, who are currently in the best position possible to cement their position as a European supergiant. After all, they are champions of the continent and could well follow up that title with a Premier League too. There are few, if any, sides on the planet as hot as the Reds right now, and if they can capitalise on that, it could be huge. Nike could surely help them do that.
