Puma Sign More & More Manchester City Players, but Apparently Not to Bypass FFP Regulations
If you have been keeping an eye on the boots worn by Manchester City players, you may have noticed a few changes recently. The biggest was Haaland, but there have been other football boots switches - German brand Puma, Manchester City's kit sponsor, seems to be tightening the link with Man City players. Could this also be to bypass Financial Fair Play or it is just normal business?
There have been no accusations of Puma
On February 6, 2023, Man City were charged by the Premier League with Financial Fair Play violations over a nine-year period. The result is not known yet, but it could result in serious punishments for the Citizens. There have been no accusations of Puma.
Grealish is on a similar level as Adidas x Beckham
Puma Could Sign 3 Manchester City Players In One Month - Grealish, Akanji, and Mahrez
Puma have apparently signed/will sign three new Manchester City players - Jack Grealish x Puma is already official and deals with Manuel Akanji and Riyad Mahrez seem very likely. There is no information about the amount paid to the players. The Grealish deal is said to be one of the biggest ever for a British athlete.
Puma now already have four players of Manchester City's latest XI
It is unclear if this is being used to circumvent FFP regulations or if it is just the usual soccer boot business. However, there is no information that the sportswear company is using these deals to circumvent Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Interestingly, Puma failed to sign Manchester City's most important player, Erling Haaland, who opted for Nike instead.
Haaland opted for Nike certainly
Currently, Puma make the boots for five City players, as visible via Football Boots DB, our website about football boots. Nike lead the battle with exactly 50% (12 of 24).
It is not unusual for Puma to sign players from clubs it sponsors. The company currently provides boots for 34% of Borussia Dortmund's players, who are not only sponsored by Puma but also partly owned by the company.
Puma were reported to "help" BVB pay Reus' high salary in 2015
However, BVB reportedly offered Marco Reus an €8 million annual contract in 2015 in partnership with Puma and Opel. Both sponsors were said to "help" BVB pay Reus' high salary.
However,
Puma Manchester City Kit Deal - Very High, But Not Exceptional
Meanwhile, Puma's Manchester City kit deal is very well-paid, but not unusual. Puma will sponsor Manchester City from 2019 in a ten-year kit deal worth €750 million. This is a top deal for the Citizens as it is only slightly behind Manchester United's deal and ahead of Arsenal's.
Our Verdict - Puma's Manchester City Deals are High, But Not "Out of the Ordinary"
It remains to be seen if the investigation into Man City will reveal anything unusual about Puma's sponsorship deals, but at the moment we don't think so. Surely, the deals are high, but not exceptionally - they have a "similar level" as those of other top teams and players.
What do you think? Are Puma's sponsorship deals with football clubs regular, or do you believe they are at least partly intended to bypass FFP regulations? Let us know in the comments below.
