Aston Villa have reportedly reached an agreement with Adidas to become our new kit manufacturer from next season onwards.
Castore currently provide the club’s kits, but there have been well-publicised issues with their products this season, largely based on the sweat retention and wet-look problems that were first seen starting from our pre-season tour last summer.
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While the manufacturer moved to address the club’s concerns at the end of last year by providing new kits, the agreement between the two parties was expected to end early when the current season concludes.
According to The Telegraph, Villa have now struck a new deal with Adidas to take over from next season, with owner Nassef Sawiris, who is a shareholder in the manufacturer, said to have overseen the deal and was a ‘driving force’ in getting it done as he was eager to have a ‘blue-chip manufacturer to reflect the ambitions he has for Villa’ moving forward.
It’s added that the deal is said to be worth multi-millions of pounds and will ensure that the men’s, women’s and Academy teams are all provided with kits, while President of Business Operations, Chris Heck, was involved ‘centrally in the negotiations to complete the Adidas deal’.
While there has yet to be confirmation from the club, this is a significant moment for us if accurate, as working alongside a global force such as Adidas and the revenue that comes with such a deal will be considered a major win for the club’s management team.
Coupled with the issues that we’ve had with Castore this past season, it not only rectifies an existing problem that needed to be addressed this summer, but it hopefully plays a key part in not only growing our reach and brand, but also making an impact on our desire to become increasingly competitive on and off the pitch.
Naturally, there will now be excitement for Villa fans as we hope to see new designs for the club’s kits released sooner rather than later, and combined with the new crest and 150th anniversary marque, it promises to be a memorable one that will hopefully prove to be a popular big-seller amongst the fanbase.
Further, while it’s a continuation of the incredible work done by our ownership, it’s also a big positive for Heck given the report suggests he was key in talks, as he has come under criticism from some following the changes made to our plans for Villa Park’s redevelopment and the new-look crest.