Kieran Maguire praises 'clever' West Ham deal after £7m-a-year deal agreed
West Ham have been 'clever' by continuing their £7million deal with kit provider Umbro.
That is the opinion of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the Hammers' decision to stick with the England-based sports manufacturer.
Football Insider sources revealed last Thursday (16 March) that West Ham are set to keep Umbro as their kit provider despite suggestions they could switch to Nike.
The Irons have been partnered with Umbro for eight years and agreed a long-term extension with the brand in 2020.
The London club considered triggering a break clause in their contract to explore other options but have decided to stick to their Umbro agreement that pockets them around £7million per season, as well as a small cut of the profit from kits sold.
Maguire believes that Umbro will value West Ham more than other top providers such as Nike and Adidas.
"I think the Umbro deal is more likely to be a rollover than anything else," Maguire told Football Insider.
"The price of kit sponsors keeps going up so they might be in for a small raise.
"In terms of sticking with Umbro over other kit providers, West Ham are aware that they will not be the top priority for Nike or Adidas and that comes with repercussions in terms of kit supply.
"West Ham have been clever and realised that they are a bigger fish in the Umbro pond and will be treated accordingly.
"They might not get more money from the deal but they will get better service as they will be one of the company’s bigger clients."