Reports Say Arsenal Will Sign 5 Year New Kit Deal With Adidas

Arsenal could be about to sign the third biggest kit deal in world football according to reports from America on Thursday.

The club is in the final year of its contract with Puma and there was huge interest in the London club from adidas as well as Nike. Both those firms have produced Arsenal kits in the past and they are well regarded by fans who remember some of the classic designs they have turned out for the Gunners.

Puma's efforts have not been quite so well received and this year's home kit was slammed by Gunners legend Ian Wright. 

Adidas took over production of the Arsenal range in the 1980s from Umbro and some of their kits are still talked about and lusted after today. The infamous 'bruised banana' design from the early 1990s is regularly mentioned as one of the best kits of all time.

The new deal is apparently worth more than $385million over five years - third in world football behind Barcelona's deal with Nike and Manchester's United's agreement with adidas. The new deal is more than double what Puma are currently paying for the privilege of producing Arsenal's training and playing gear. Whether the new deal will help to provide cash for boss Unai Emery to strengthen his squad next summer remains to be seen.

It was recently reported that Puma were going to replace Nike as Manchester City's kit manufacturers for next season. Another of the Premier League's top teams Liverpool are approaching the final years of their deal with New Balance and a bidding war is expected to become the Reds next kit supplier.