Puma makes whopping offer to Barcelona to bag kit sponsorship deal

Puma has reportedly offered Barcelona €120 million-a-year deal and €100 million signing bonus to become their kit sponsor. This put the German garment manufacturer giant in a position of challenging Nike to secure the deal.  

Actually, Barcelona are still in-contract with Nike until 2028. But lately, the Catalans are not happy with the terms given by the Swoosh, making them consider a move of making their own brand. 

Also Read: Barcelona Transfer News: Joan Laporta wants to hand star player a lifetime contract

Nike has been with Barcelona since 1999, one of the longest partnerships in Europe. The current fiasco has drawn attention to some other brands to pitch. Apart from Puma, there are New Balance and Hummel who are also among the candidates. 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is calculating

The club president Joan Laporta is exploring numerous possibilities that Barcleona would take in the near future. The 61-year old politician said that everything is not final yet. 

“There are three options: continue with Nike, accept what the market offers us, which would pay us much more, and there is the option of doing it ourselves through BLM as we do with other types of clothing ,” he told RAC1. “If you see what it costs to make the shirts and the price at which they are sold… In terms of profitability, creating Barça’s own brand is not ruled out, although there are safer options like those paid for by the market.”

The number Puma has offered is 35 million higher than what Nike purchased (€85 million) so far. Such an amount of money would be useful for Barcelona to cover their operational burdens. If Barcelona accept the proposal, the Camp Nou-based team have to start thinking of contract termination with Nike. 

The fall of Barcelona’s key figures

Barcelona’s financial crisis is not stopping with only a cost-spending issue. As per today, the club’s vice president Eduard Romeu has resigned from his position. The club’s president Joan Laporta has granted a resigning request from Romeu as the club announced in an official statement. 

“FC Barcelona informs that Mr. Eduard Romeu, Vice-President of the Club’s Economic Area, has tendered his resignation to President Joan Laporta on the grounds of incompatibility with his full dedication to his professional work,” the statement said. “President Laporta has accepted the resignation while thanking him for his work at the head of the Club’s Economic Area, focused on the development of the viability plan put in place during this mandate and which has managed to reverse the financial situation of the institution.”

RAC1 reports that one of the reasons leading to Romeu’s resignation was his reluctance of the club’s board structure. Romeu was not happy about the composition of the board members which he thinks are full of Laporta’s acquaintances including Ferran Olive. Romeu followed the former Corporate Director, Maribel Melendez who also resigned two weeks ago.