Liverpool Had Talks With Puma, Nike 20-21 Kits "Ready", 21-22 Kits Almost Finished - New Balance vs Liverpool Kit Day Two Trial Updates
Oct 21, 2019, by Chris
The court trial between New Balance and Liverpool continued at the High Court in London today. In the second hearing day of the three-day trial new details about Liverpool's kit deal process got revealed.
The Reds and current kit suppliers New Balance are battling it out in court over the future of their partnership. New Balance insist they can "match" a rival deal that is on the table from Nike, satisfying a clause in their existing contract that would allow them to extend terms.
Liverpool have held kit deal "conversations" with Puma, a High Court trial was told. Liverpool managing director and chief commercial officer Billy Hogan was called to the stand to give evidence this morning, and when it was put to him that emails suggested the club had also been in conversations with Puma, he agreed.
Liverpool have decided Nike is their preferred option to take forward the supply of kits, with the club having sketched out a five-year contract starting for the 2020/21 campaign. The trial has already heard that Liverpool have agreed on a design for next year's shirt with Oregon-based giants Nike, with plans for the 2021/22 season almost finalised too.
It was also revealed that Nike have spent around £6million on fabric for the potential new kit and have received pre-orders from around 8,000 stores. They have factory space for 2.9m units reserved and training designs also in place.
Mr Daniel Oudkerk QC, for New Balance, suggested to Mr Hogan today: "New Balance has benefited from its relationship with Liverpool under the sponsorship from Liverpool….and Liverpool has benefited from the investment from New Balance.”
Mr Hogan replied: "From its investment, yes". Mr Oudkerk discussed the contents of an email from Nike which suggested the company is currently preparing for capacity of 2.9million units - the same as New Balance.
Mr Oudkerk presented another set of emails on the terms of the Nike offer, and said: “If the first teams fails for any reason to compete in the group stages of the Champions League, there are various reductions to their contract and to the obligations. “If that’s right that would be very material to you wouldn’t it, as commercial director you would want to know whether there were financial consequences for not being in the Champions League?”
Mr Hogan, Liverpool commercial chief, said he had not seen this element of the contract. Mr Oudkerk said that clause with Nike means there is no distribution obligation at all if Liverpool fail to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, but Mr Hogan said that had not been discussed.
The email included a longer form contract for the club to review - Mr Hogan said he had not looked at it...
The trial is scheduled for a final day tomorrow.
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FC Barcelona 26-27 Third Kit Font Leaked
Following the leak of FC Barcelona's 26-27 third kit, kit expert @memorabilia1899 has provided a first look at the custom typeface that will feature on the back of the jersey. The bespoke font design continues Nike's trend of pairing unique typography with its high-profile club kit releases for the season.
The typography features a sharp, geometric design with clean blocky angles for the player numbers, rendered in dark navy blue and bordered by a bright red outline. The player name is printed in arched, bold sans-serif lettering using the same color scheme, perfectly matching the teal body and red trim of the shirt.
This custom typeface will be worn on Barcelona's 26-27 third kit during cup fixtures and selected league games where customized fonts are permitted. The contrasting red outline gives the player names and numbers clear visibility against the light teal graphic backdrop.
Pink Real Madrid 26-27 Third Kit Leaked in New Promo Image
A new promo-style image of the Real Madrid 26-27 third kit has emerged online ahead of its official release scheduled for August 12, 2026. Crafted by Adidas, the new alternative jersey marks the return of a pink main color for Los Blancos for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Thanks to @KamilBerberler.
The standout element of the shirt is an intricate tonal geometric pattern covering both the front and back. Inspired by Latin American art, the graphic features interlocking circular and diamond shapes created with fine dotted lines. Complementing the vibrant pink base, Adidas adds ivory details across the V-neck collar, sleeve cuffs, and the Three Stripes on the shoulders. The club crest, Adidas logo, and Emirates front sponsor are all rendered in clean white.
On the back, the geometric pattern continues seamlessly alongside a stylized retro "RMCF" sign-off positioned just below the collar. Matching pink shorts with ivory accents and pink socks complete the full uniform, making it only the third pink outfield kit in Real Madrid's history.
Elche 26-27 Away Kit Released
Spanish club Elche CF and Nike have officially launched the new Elche 26-27 away kit. Following the earlier releases of their home and third shirts, this launch completes the team's kit lineup for the 2026-27 season.
The Nike Elche CF 26-27 away jersey features a eye-catching purple colorway covered in a dynamic halftone dot pattern that flows in subtle wave lines across the front and sleeves. Metallic gold accents are used for the club crest and lower hem details, while the Nike Swoosh stands out in clean white on the right chest.
Matching purple shorts and socks complete the full strip. The new Elche 26-27 away kit is available through the official club store and online channels.
Mizuno 'Serene Spark' 26-27 New Season Boots Pack Released
Mizuno has officially revealed its latest football boot collection for the 26-27 season, dubbed the Serene Spark pack. Built around the theme of quiet passion driving performance, the pack blends cool light blue uppers with vibrant orange-red accents across the branding, heel area, and soleplate details.
The Serene Spark lineup covers Mizuno's top-tier speed and touch models, led by the Mizuno Alpha III and the Morelia Neo V Beta. A small-sided edition, the Morelia Neo Sala Beta Japan, is also included in the collection. Each silhouette shares a light blue base tone paired with striking gradient Runbird logos that give the pack its distinctive look.
The Mizuno Serene Spark collection will officially launch on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, available through Mizuno Japan and selected football retailers worldwide.
Marcus Rashford to Wear Number 14 Shirt at Manchester United
Marcus Rashford is set to wear a new squad number upon his return to Manchester United for the 26-27 season. With Matheus Cunha currently occupying the club's number 10 jersey, the forward has been assigned the vacant number 14 shirt.
This marks the fourth squad number Rashford has worn during his senior career at Old Trafford. After making his first-team debut wearing number 39, he subsequently switched to number 19 before taking over the number 10 shirt, which he wore during his most prolific seasons.
The number 14 jersey carries a recognizable history at Manchester United, having previously been worn by players such as close friend Jesse Lingard, Javier Hernández, and Christian Eriksen.
Al-Nassr 26-27 Away Kit Leaked - Launch Pictures
@MidanAlAtqam has leaked the 4 promo pictures of the new Al-Nassr 26-27 away kit. It will be released very soon.
No More Puma: Adidas Carrick Rangers 26-27 Away Kit Released
Northern Irish side Carrick Rangers and Adidas have officially revealed the club's new away kit for the 26-27 NIFL Premiership campaign. Following the earlier rollout of their amber home jersey, the new release completes the team's primary kit set for the season.
The Carrick Rangers 26-27 away shirt features a predominantly white body contrasted by striking amber raglan sleeves. Black details are utilized throughout the design, including the classic Adidas three-stripes across the shoulders, a simple round collar, and matching black sponsor and brand logos.
The new kit will be worn in away fixtures during the 26-27 season and is available directly through the official Carrick Rangers club shop.
