Erling Haaland leaves Nike, signs deal with Adidas
Haaland confirmed on his social media his partnership with the German brand, the same brand that sponsors Real Madrid.
Erling Haaland has made up his mind and Adidas will be the brand that will sponsor him for the next few years. This was a decision that many had seen coming after the Norwegian striker was recently spotted at Borussia Dortmund training with Adidas boots.
The Norwegian goalscorer took to the pitch without hiding the features of the boots. It is a common for players when they don't yet have a contract with a brand to paint their boots black so that they are not distinguishable. On 31 March, Haaland made his way onto social media, posing in an Adidas hoodie with the caption: "Just me".
Offers from Nike
Haaland had offers from Nike, his previous brand, which paid him €1 million a year and whose offer would have gone up a lot to maintain the partnership. Puma were reported to have put €8 million a year on the table.
The German press reported that Haaland was asking for €50 million for five years of sponsorship, although it has not emerged whether Adidas have reached that amount or whether they have settled for a lower fee.
Real Madrid, one of the top clubs interested in signing Haaland, welcome the Norwegian's decision. Adidas have been designing Real Madrid kits since the summer of 1998 and the relationship between the club and the German firm is healthy. They renewed their agreement in 2019 until 2028, with a fixed price per season for Madrid of more than €100 million.
Haaland a big name for Adidas
Adidas' wish now would be that Real Madrid sign Haaland to bring together its main star in football with one of its key sporting brands. PSG star Kylian Mbappé is with Nike, as is Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior. Karim Benzema is signed to Adidas, but like Lionel Messi, he is in the final stage of his professional career.