Barça to become best paid club in world after Nike deal

Barcelona announced the renewal of their deal with Nike at gone 2am on Saturday morning. It will keep the two parties working to gather for the next decade. 

The Catalan club and Nike signed their first agreement in 1998 and have therefore been linked throughout Barça’s most sustained period of sporting success. A renewal was signed in 2008, worth 35 million euros per season, plus 19 million more dependent on the merchandising of the shirt. That deal ran through until 2018, but given other clubs’ recent business, it had become obsolete. 

Thanks to the new deal, Barça will not just improved what they earn from Nike, but they will become the best paid club in the world, ahead of Manchester United. The English club’s contract signed with Adidas in 2014 is worth 96 million euros annually. 

Bayern Munich come next, with a deal with Adidas worth 80 million euros per season. Just behind the German champions will be Chelsea, who have broken away from Adidas to sign for Nike, reportedly agreeing on 77.5 million euros each year. 

Fifth place is Real Madrid, who earn 40 million euros per season. Los Blancos are in talks with Adidas to prolong their deal and increase their income from the German brand. Florentino Perez has been negotiating for months. 

According to reports in January, Madrid want a contract worth 140 million euros per season. Barça’s new deal with Nike is only going to add Perez’s demands, though, with his objective to make Madrid the best paid club in the world. 

By season, here are the best paid clubs in Europe: 

FC Barcelona (Nike) 105 - 155 million

Manchester United (Adidas) 96 million

Bayern Munich (Adidas) 80 million

Chelsea (NIke) 77.5 million

Real Madrid (Adidas) 40 million

Arsenal (Puma) 39 million

Liverpool (New Balance) 32 million

Juventus (Adidas) 26 million

Milan (Adidas) 23 million

PSG (Nike) 23 million