Manchester United would be at risk of losing their incredibly lucrative partnership with adidas if the worst were to happen and the club were relegated from the Premier League this season.
Such a terrible fall from grace was unimaginable until Ruben Amorim admitted that it was “clear” that the club is in the fight for relegation after a terrible series of results.
United they have lost five of their last six Premier League games and are just seven points above the bottom three at the halfway point of the season. It quickly turned into a far from brief honeymoon period of the Amorites era when a defeat of Everton at Old Trafford it left them six points short of second place.
The club’s kit deal with Adidas was renewed 18 months ago, starting in 2025 for a second 10-year run after the pair originally got back together a decade ago. The attached figure has been increased from £750m to a reported £900m, making it the world’s most valuable such deal overall.
But there are contract clauses that would protect adidas from throwing money at a lame duck, which have now surfaced publicly given the turmoil on the pitch.
United’s published accounts for 2023/24, during which the new adidas deal was announced, confirmed: “Adidas can reduce applicable payments for the year by 50% if the men’s first team does not participate in the English Premier League during that year.
“Furthermore, Adidas may terminate the contract by giving a full season’s notice if the Men’s First Team is relegated from the English Premier League or if it is otherwise determined that the Men’s First Team will not participate in the Premier League or the English top flight.”
This means that if United succumb to relegation in 2025 which is still not probably even if he becomes a possible threat adidas could halve his payout to £45m per season. Alternatively, they could terminate the deal entirely and leave before the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
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