Liverpool Transfer News: Brendan Rodgers Gets Huge Budget After New Balance Deal

Brendan Rodgers will be given a "bumper transfer war chest" to fund his Liverpool squad after the club inked a hefty new kit deal with sportswear company New Balance.

Renowned for its sporting footwear, New Balance is set to absorb the manufacturing rights from current sponsor Warrior, a subsidiary the company owns. Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star believes the deal will be ultimately be worth £300 million. Chris Beasley of the Liverpool Echo reports that it will bring in "in excess" of £25 million a year.

Billy Hogan, Liverpool's chief commercial officer, was delighted to announce the deal. Turrell relayed his comments:

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We are thrilled to announce this partnership with one of the world's leading sportswear brands, which is a record-breaking deal for the club. Like Liverpool, New Balance has over 100 years of heritage and a global footprint and they have a presence in many countries across the world, which will all feature LFC kit.

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New Balance Football general manager Richard Wright explained some of the inspiration behind the company's design, per Beasley:

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The big thing with New Balance is technical innovation. For us, it’s all about producing really good gear and being as innovative as we can. 

From both a performance point of view and a lifestyle point of view, the brand is red hot. It’s the hottest thing on the high street at the moment so I don’t think Liverpool fans are going to find it difficult to wear at all. We’re very pleased with the design that we’ve come up with. They’re being made as we speak.

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Jack Bezants of the MailOnline suggests this multi-year agreement doesn't "compromise" the current deal with Warrior, but that New Balance's involvement pushes it to being "the biggest in the history of the club."

Bezants believes this has the "potential" to be worth £300 million, but it's unclear as to whether the Reds will receive a larger base figure under the new agreement. New Balance will reportedly sell club merchandise in 500 stores, so this could represent the additional income over Warrior's current £25 million-per-year deal.

Rodgers could receive some of the windfall to improve his team. He spent lavishly during the summer and has finally knocked Liverpool into shape over the last two months. Despite a poor start to the season, the club are just four points off a Champions League spot and have an excellent chance of challenging for the FA Cup.

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Liverpool are the latest Premier League giants to confirm a club-record shirt deal. Arsenal secured a £150 million contract with Puma prior to the start of the current campaign—£30 million per season across five years—reported by David Kent of the MailOnline.

Manchester United are set to earn £75 million a year for a decade after signing with Adidas, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, an agreement that begins next season.

Few clubs will be able to compete with United's numbers, but Rodgers will likely be licking his lips with the new investment in mind. Liverpool are currently linked with players such as Marco Reus, Karim Benzema and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, reported by Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star. Extra funding could help secure a top-class player.

B/R UK's Alex Dimond recently suggested that Liverpool will regret not spending big during the January window:

Rodgers has got the team moving forward again, so the New Balance deal is further good news for fans. Liverpool don't have the funds to compete with Manchester City, Chelsea and United, meaning it is the club's responsibility to squeeze as much money as possible out of sponsorship deals to ensure they can build a successful squad.

New Balance is also set to supply shirts for Stoke City, Sevilla and Porto next season, so it will be interesting to see how the organisation's first steps into football pan out. If it enables Liverpool to spend hefty funds on players, the Kop will surely welcome the agreement.