Liverpool 'have new Nike kit design agreed as 5-yr contract hinges on NB trial'

Liverpool have already agreed a new kit design with Nike for next season - despite a High Court case with current manufacturers New Balance still to be decided.

New Balance's current agreement expires at the end of the season with the Reds eager to begin new terms on a five-year contract with Nike starting the 2020/21 campaign.

In court documents obtained by the ECHO, it has been revealed that Liverpool have already agreed on a design for next year's shirt with the Oregon-based giants, with plans for the 2021/22 season almost finalised, too.

Nike have also spent close to £6million on fabric for the potential new kit and have received pre-orders from around 8,000 stores. The company have also reserved factory space for 2.9m units with training designs also agreed upon.

The current suppliers insist they can "match" the rival deal that is on the table from Nike, satisfying a clause in their existing contract with the club However, Liverpool maintain the brand are not being “genuine” with promises of what they can deliver.

Central to the positions of both parties in the case is the issue of whether New Balance can match Nike's apparent promises of global distribution.

New Balance are trying to activate a clause in the contract, which they have held since 2011, meaning they get the chance match any offers from a competitor.

With the contract up on May 30, Liverpool bosses have been successfully wooed by Nike, who have offered £30million per year in annual rights fees plus 20% royalties on all net sales of LFC products.

New Balance say they can match that, plus Nike's promise of 6,000 "doors", or retail outlets, stocking Liverpool branded products around the world.

Liverpool claim New Balance have not tabled a genuine offer and have fallen well short of matching the key 6,000 figure.

Nike's offer of £30million as an "annual rights fee" is relatively modest - compared with the £71million deal the firm has with French giants Paris Saint-Germain - and is in fact significantly less than the £45m fee agreed with New Balance under the current deal.

However, the allure of Nike's offer comes from its enormous distribution network - and the promise of a 20 per cent royalty on net sales of LFC products around the globe.

Day two of the High Court case gets underway on Monday morning.