Barcelona signs staggering record sponsorship deal with Nike following split U-turn: Reports

Barcelona have agreed to sign a staggering record sponsorship deal with Nike, according to reports from SPORT and Mundo Deportivo. This comes after it was believed that the club would let the partnership run its course till 2028.

However, recent developments suggest that the club have now signed a deal with Nike till 2038. Nike has partnered with the Catalan giants since 2000 and theirs is one of the longest-running sponsorship deals in the history of top-flight football.

This new contract reportedly includes a €158 million (£131m/$169m) signing bonus for Barca. They will be paid this amount over the course of the entire 14-year agreement.

La Blaugrana are also expected to make an extra €127m (£105m/$136m) on average per year from this agreement. This will considerably add up to around €1.7 billion (£1.4bn/$1.8bn) over the course of the contract.

The partnership between Barcelona and Nike has not always been in harmony, with several reports in March stating that club president Joan Laporta had terminated their long-running deal.

However, Nike has managed to make several compromises and got their way into a hugely profitable agreement for this new deal. This is expected to be announced soon, if reports from GOAL are to be believed.

Barcelona next take on Real Sociedad in the LaLiga

Barcelona, who are at the top of the LaLiga standings at the moment with 39 points, take on Real Sociedad in a match away from home on Sunday, November 10.

Having beaten Red Star Belgrade 5-2 midweek in the UEFA Champions League, Hansi Flick's men will be keen on extending their run at the top of the LaLiga table this weekend.

Barcelona have been in fine form this season, winning 11 out of the 12 matches they have played in the league so far. They have only lost once in LaLiga this campaign in a 2-4 defeat to Osasuna away from home in September.