Umbro ‘to lose England kit deal’

UMBRO, the North West sports brand which parent company Nike is selling, could lose its deal with the Football Association for England kit, according to reports.

Although Cheadle-based Umbro has a deal with the FA until 2018, speculation is mounting that Nike will become the new supplier in the coming weeks, and its famous ‘swoosh’ logo will adorn a new away kit from as early as next year.

Nike, which has long-term kit deals with Manchester United and Barcelona has already taken over one existing high-profile Umbro relationship, announcing in May that it had signed a deal with Manchester City FC from the start of the 2013-14 season.

This came a week before Nike announced that it wanted to sell Umbro – which it acquired for £285m in 2007 – along with some other brands it deemed to be non-core.

None of the parties would comment on the reports in the Daily Mail. Should the article prove accurate, the price tag Nike could expect to receive for Umbro will be significantly less without the England kit deal.