Liverpool are free to sign a kit deal with Nike after New Balance’s appeal to remain as the club’s suppliers was rejected in the High Court.
The judgment was delivered on Friday and ends a dispute that had led to a three-day hearing as New Balance tried desperately to maintain a relationship with the current European champions and Premier League leaders that started in 2012.
Liverpool wanted to establish a partnership with Nike that would see high-profile athletes in the US company’s stable, such as LeBron James and Serena Williams, help market the club in overseas territories, which in turn would lead to a significant increase in commercial revenue.
New Balance were naturally keen to maintain their relationship with a club doing well on the pitch and who have a sizeable support base off it and, as such, tried to force Liverpool to activate a renewal clause in their contract which gave them the right to match any offer from a competitor. But it was deemed by Mr Justice Nigel Teare during the high court hearing that their offer did not match Nike’s.
That led to New Balance filing papers in a last-ditch attempt to block a Liverpool-Nike kit deal but has been dismissed, paving the way for Liverpool to sign a five-year contract with Nike from the start of next season.
