Top Three Battle for Balotelli Boot Deal - Football News

Mario Balotelli's contract with Nike is set to expire, something that's triggered a three-way bidding war between Nike, adidas & PUMA for the Italian's signature. Whoever does land the AC Milan striker will be responsible for making him one of the highest earners in football.

It's believed that all three brands have tabled an offer for Balotelli, with adidas making the first move. A 10 year sponsorship worth a reported €5 million a year might be enough to bring Balotelli to team-adidas, but big-spenders PUMA have matched the deal, putting Balotelli in a lucrative position.

Balotelli has put himself in the shop window in recent games by wearing a blacked-out edition of his Nike CTR360 boots against Genoa and Celtic while the Italian also taped over the Nike branding for the recent international fixtures.



The relationship between AC Milan and adidas couldn't be stronger after the two extended their long-term deal to 2023 - something that won't harm adidas' chances of tying up a deal with the clubs striker, if he stays in Milan.

PUMA's long association with the Italian national team also give the German brand some pulling power, who recently extended their partnership with the Azzuri to 2018. Whether there's a Swoosh, Cat or three stripes on the headed paper, Balotelli will see his earnings doubled to around €10 million a year. You can buy a lot of fireworks with that.



Boot wise Balotelli has been wearing the Nike CTR360 for the best part of his career so a switch in brand could see Milan's number 45 opting for a similar alternative in the Predator LZ or PUMA's upcoming evoPOWER model.



As a striker who wears the CTR360, Balotelli doesn't fall in line with Nike's marketing strategy and communications. Nike would have encouraged the striker to switch into the HyperVenom earlier this year, but we imagine he's not the easiest customer to deal with.

Will Mario Balotelli sign for Nike, PUMA or adidas and which boot silo should he wear? Let us know your thoughts. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.