Manchester City announce £65 million-a-year Puma kit deal

Manchester City have announced a new long-term kit deal with German manufacturer Puma.Press Association Sport understands the agreement to be worth £65 million a year for 10 years, making it the second biggest in the Premier League.Only Manchester United, whose present deal with adidas is reportedly worth £75 million per year, eclipses it in the English top flight.The deal, which will come into effect from July and also covers City’s sister clubs in Australia, Spain, Uruguay and China, is worth more than treble the arrangement with current kit supplier Nike.The news was announced by the City Football Group, the clubs’ holding company, on Thursday.Chief executive Ferran Soriano said: “It is a historic day for us. What we are doing has not been done before. It is an unprecedented partnership.“We now have seven clubs in five continents. We needed a partner that can move fast with us.”The deal covers men’s, women’s and youth teams at Melbourne City, Girona, Club Atletico Torque and the newly-acquired Chinese outfit Sichuan Jiuniu.The only CFG clubs not included are New York City, due to the centralisation of such deals in Major League Soccer, and Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos, who are still under contract with another manufacturer.Puma CEO Bjorn Gulden said: “Puma’s partnership with City Football Group is the largest deal that we have ever done – both in scope and ambition.“We are very excited to partner with City Football Group, whose success, ambition and drive for innovation has seen them setting new standards, on and off the field.”The news comes a week after the CFG expanded its portfolio of clubs by buying China League Two club Sichuan Jiuniu.China is seen as a market of vast potential for the group and Manchester City are set to tour the country as part of their next pre-season campaign.Soriano said: “I think we’ll play four games. One in Japan and probably the others in China but we’ll announce that.”The game in Japan, against Yokohama F Marinos, has already been confirmed for July 27.