James Pearce has admitted that he would be “surprised” if New Balance won their current court battle with Nike to retain their contract as Liverpool’s kit manufacturer next season.
The two American sportswear giants are currently embroiled in a tussle over the right to supply the Reds, and Pearce has claimed that he can only see the verdict going one way.
Writing in a Q&A for the Athletic, he said: “I was in the court for day one and then like you just followed the updates for day two and three.
“It seemed to sway one way and then back the other.
“I’d be surprised if the judgement went NB’s way. There just seemed to be so many holes in how they had reached the figure of 6,000 stores to stock LFC goods around the world. They currently only offer less than half of that figure.”
OPINION
Pearce is probably closer to this story than most, truth be told, and if he is of the opinion that Nike are going to win this case then you would be unwise to bet against him. Certainly, it would appear that the Reds would prefer to have the company over their current suppliers New Balance, and the might that Nike can offer as a distributing power could prove to be vital. According to a report in the Echo, the brand saw it’s sale in China grow by 27% last year, and if that is true, then Liverpool must be licking their lips at the prospect of working with them. Undoubtedly, the Reds are one of, if not the, biggest clubs in the world right now, and the opportunity to further their influence in the lucrative Asian market could well be a chance that is too good to miss out on. By contrast, New Balance look very much like the poor relation here.
