How Erling Haaland could cost Harry Kane Nike sponsorship deal
FT Desk
- Updated: 30 Sept 2022 15:39 BST
- 3 min read
Erling Haaland is gunning for Harry Kane's Premier League top scorer crown, and he could end up with his Nike boot sponsorship deal as well!
Haaland has hit the ground running since his €60 million arrival at Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, hammering home 11 goals from just seven Premier League games.
That leaves him well clear of Kane in the top scorers chart, with the Tottenham Hotspur man on six alongside Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic.
First look at Erling Haaland in a Man City jersey 👀pic.twitter.com/u3FIbrDpB6
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) June 13, 2022
Kane has been contracted to Nike in the past, but the sportswear giant are understood to be holding off on a new deal for the England striker while they monitor Haaland's surging popularity.
"Haaland, 22, the subject of a bidding war to get him under contract, is the boot manufacturers' most sought-after player," report the Telegraph. "And they are planning their budgets accordingly to try to get him on board, even though Norway will not be at Qatar this winter."
Kane is likely to extend his deal with Nike after the tournament - which England are at - but it is a worry for him that Adidas, Puma and the like haven't tried to poach him in the meantime.
Lucrative deals
The top players can make more from boot sponsorships than they do from their club salaries, and Kane has previously been one of the game's highest earners in this regard. But that could be changing.
The most marketable names have always commanded the biggest deals," the Telegraph continue. "And Haaland's impact on the Premier League this season - and the general fascination around the player and his distinctive style are viewed as a major asset in the industry.
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"Others like Paul Pogba and David Beckham in the past have attracted similar interest despite not necessarily being the leading players of their generation."
Haaland looks to be very much a leading player in his generation, though, and he could be set to leave Kane in his wake in more ways than one.
