Grifols closing in on Camp Nou naming rights deal

Spanish pharmaceutical group Grifols is close to acquiring the naming rights to Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium redevelopment in a deal valued at about €20m per year.

According to the Palco23 website, discussions between Grifols and the LaLiga club began a year ago. Although Grifols initially denied talks had taken place, it is now thought that a deal could be finalised by the end of the year.

The naming-rights deal is important to Barcelona because the contract must provide at least one-third of the €640m ($724m) required for the redevelopment of the Camp Nou and construction of the surrounding campus.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said in February that he expected to get about €300m from the naming-rights contract, compared to the initial forecast of €200m. The club envisages the contract could extend for 15 or 20 years.

Van Wagner, a US-based marketing agency, has been working with the club on the deal.