Liverpool Kit Supplier New Balance Open Legal Dispute Against Reds

Liverpool kit supplier New Balance has opened a legal dispute against the Reds, continuing the battle over who will become the club's next kit manufacturer.

Per James Pearce of The Athletic, New Balance maintain the current deal between them and the Reds includes a clause that allows them to match any offer, amid reports Nike have proposed a lucrative deal:

A club spokesman told Sky Sports legal proceedings have been opened: "We can confirm that our kit supplier, New Balance, has commenced a legal dispute against the club. We will not be making any further comment during these legal proceedings."

Liverpool are in the final year of their current deal with New Balance, worth £45 million per year. Nike have offered the Champions League winners £70 million per year to sign with them, and a deal is thought to be close, per Sky Sports.

According to New Balance, Liverpool have not given them the chance to use their matching clause, and they have now made the decision to take the case to High Court.

Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo believes the legal case will actually benefit the Reds:

The Echo's Paul Gorst reported the new deal will be the biggest in the club's history, regardless of who is the manufacturer:

Liverpool are by far the biggest football club in New Balance's portfolio, which also includes Leyton Orient, France's Lille, Spain's Athletic Bilbao and Portugal's FC Porto. The Boston-based company have long held links to the Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's parent company.

But as Pearce noted, the company doesn't have the same global distribution network as Nike, one of the giants of the sports world. A deal with Nike would likely increase kit sales significantly in parts of the world that are hard to reach for New Balance.