Kieran Maguire tells Man United protesters to choose new targets as £750m deal under attack
The Man United fans who have decided to boycott Adidas in protest at the Glazers are unlikely to force any real change.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Red Devils’ deal with the German sportswear giants.
United signed a 10-year deal with Adidas in 2015 that is worth a reported £750million over its lifespan.
As relayed by The Sun last Wednesday (18 May), The 1958 fan group have formally decided to boycott Adidas products.
The move is part of The 1958’s campaign against United’s commercial partners.
The Hut Group pulled out of a £20m-a-year deal with United because of a similar campaign in May last year.
But Maguire suggests that The 1958 should choose new, more realistic targets if they want to make a real difference.
“My personal view is that, if you’re going to take such a strategy, you’re probably better off targeting smaller sponsors,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Adidas are going to sell a lot of shirts regardless of the boycott. Also, Adidas have a much broader portfolio of clubs. I can’t see the international market following this lead.
“It’s good for publicity in terms of highlighting the dissatisfaction that a significant proportion of proper United fans have. But it is unlikely to move the dial commercially.”
United turned over £494m in 2020-21, with £232m of that figure attributed to commercial income.
They began a new front-of-shirt deal with tech firm TeamViewer last summer.
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