Liverpool are seemingly not the only ones who have left Nike for Adidas this summer. The club announced their new 10-year partnership on 1 August, as well as unveiling their home and away kits for the 2025/26 season.
They decided not to renew with the American apparel corporation despite Nike tendering to extend their agreement that began five years ago. The deal with Adidas is reportedly worth over £60million in guaranteed revenue each season.
As well as manufacturing kits, they and Nike also make boots worn by the world’s best players. The latter have sponsored Liverpool-linked Rodrygo for over a decade.
However, that partnership appears to have ended. Spanish sports newspaper Marca reports that the Brazil international surprised everyone by wearing the newest Adidas F50 boots when Real Madrid belatedly began their pre-season training this week following their involvement at the Club World Cup.
Rodrygo wore Nike boots during his limited minutes at that tournament, but has also donned blackout and whiteout boots on occasion, sometimes a sign that change is afoot. The player falling out of favour under their new head coach, Xabi Alonso, during that competition has led to Liverpool being one of several Premier League clubs credited with an interest in a potential move.
Boot sponsorships can be highly lucrative deals in the modern game with huge financial agreements sometimes in place with players.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also often linked with Rodrygo, but the Reds appear to have an advantage over the latter, as Spurs are a Nike club. The Gunners are also with Adidas, so Liverpool do not necessarily have such an edge over them.
However, the Reds and Rodrygo linking up just weeks after ditching Nike could appeal to Adidas over their more established relationship with Arsenal. However, the forward seems set to remain at Madrid for now, but that situation could still change over the next four weeks as transfer deadline day approaches.
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