James Pearce has spoken out on the battle to become Liverpool’s next kit manufacturer, suggesting that Nike hold the advantage going into their upcoming court battle with New Balance.
The two sportswear giants are set to scrap it out from Friday October 18th, as per the Echo, and while Pearce was hesitant to deliver a concrete verdict on the saga, he did hint claim that the club believe Nike will win out.
Writing during a Q&A for the Athletic, he said: “That’s very difficult for me to say.
“What I can say is that barring any dramatic developments LFC don’t expect it to be sorted out of court before the case starts next Friday.
“LFC believe they have a very strong case and are adamant that New Balance haven’t and can’t match what’s on the table from Nike. If the evidence in court backs that up then Nike will be the club’s new kit suppliers.”
OPINION
How often do you hear of a kit manufacturing deal being contested in court? The answer is, of course, not very often, and the fact that both brands are taking this job so seriously shows just how important Liverpool have become as a global football powerhouse. European champions, potential Premier League champions, there is a very, very string argument that Jurgen Klopp’s men are the best side in the world right now, and if that is the case then who wouldn’t want the honour of kitting them out next term? As for the Reds, you could probably argue that a move to Nike would be a good idea. According to a report in the Echo, the company’s Chinese sales rose by as much as 27% last year, and if the Reds can properly tap into that Asian market then they will be raking it in.
