Arsenal have announced a new kit deal with German sportswear giant adidas.
Puma has been Arsenal’s kit sponsor since 2014 but wanted to improve on the £30million per year deal. Arsenal will double that tally by earning £65million per year under the new agreement.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright alluded to the long-mooted change as early as this summer. “So pleased adidas are back sponsoring after this coming season. Especially after seeing what Puma have come up with.”
Arsenal haven’t worked with Adidas since 1994 when Nike took over as their kit sponsors.
A club statement read: “Arsenal and Adidas have agreed a new kit partnership, effective from July 1, 2019.”
Arsenal last wore Adidas during the 1993/94 season, while Gunners fans will have fond memories of the iconic Adidas kit that the side wore during the 1988/89 title win, when the league was won at Anfield in the final minutes of the season.
The fixture list has been good to Emery. The Spaniard’s determination to school his team to play out from the back might have been punished by some of the division’s better sides.
Yet there is much to like about the 46-year-old’s approach. Alexandre Lacazette is thriving. Arsene Wenger never trusted the 27-year-old but the forward has been in fine form.
His partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang improves with every game. Emery is deploying his striking options with much more certainty than his predecessor. The improvement of Alex Iwobi is a good sign, too. Like many Arsenal youngsters, Iwobi plateaued under Wenger. There is a new purpose and togetherness at the Emirates and in the second half against Fulham they looked coherent and incisive.
The team is now only two points off the top of table despite losing their first two league games. Chances for a title win may be slim in North London but with the current run of results, optimism is growing.