Barcelona to make a decision on its relationship with Nike.
FC Barcelona is in the final stretch to decide who will outfit the first team starting next season. According to Roger Torello from Mundo Deportivo, despite the Blaugrana having a contract with Nike until June 2028, since the beginning of the year, the Catalan entity has been working to increase the value of its jersey and make it the highest-paid in the market.
As of today, Barça keeps all options open regarding which brand will dress the teams of the Blaugrana entity from July 1st onwards. Although initially, Nike was reluctant to negotiate and referred to the contract already signed until 2028, in recent weeks, the American firm that has been dressing Barça since 1998 has moved and increased its offer, although it still does not reach the figures that other brands, such as Puma, are willing to pay. Likewise, the German company offers a higher fixed amount than the American one, which conditions a large sum on bonus titles won.
The third option, as revealed by President Joan Laporta two weeks ago on ‘RAC1’ and still on the table, is to create the own brand Barça. The club has taken steps in this direction, to the point that it has already visited several factories in Asian countries such as Bangladesh and China and has advanced discussions with one of the most powerful distributors worldwide to ensure that the shirt could reach every corner of the world after its manufacture.
Precisely because Barça wants to ensure that it can manufacture the shirt already for the next season (it would remain to resolve a non-minor issue, which would be the penalty with Nike in case of breaking the contract), the club needs to have its choice defined no later than early next March, although Nike is already manufacturing the 2024-25 kit. In the end, whatever decision is made, the Blaugrana club is clear that it will end up increasing the fixed value of the jersey and making it the highest-paid in the market, with figures that can reach €200 million per season.
