English Premier League football club Manchester City has lined up German sportswear brand Puma to replace US sportswear manufacturer Nike as its official kit partner, according to reports in the English media.
City’s current deal with Nike, which is worth £12m (€13.5m/$16.7m) per year, is due to expire at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
The club is yet to announce a new deal, but the Sun newspaper has said that City is closing in on a deal worth £45m per season that would make Puma its kit partner from the 2018-19 campaign.
“There have been rumours for a while and nothing is set to be announced yet,” an unnamed City source told the newspaper. “There is more certainty about the place that everything is on the right track when it comes to Puma.
“They are pushing the boat out and beating off some of their rivals. It is getting closer and closer. City still have a strong relationship with Nike so the fans must be patient. There's work to be done.”
US sportswear provider Under Armour has also been linked to a possible deal with the club.