Arsenal adidas kit deal: concepts, fan reactions and ‘bruised banana’ return

Arsenal have announced a new kit partnership with the German sportswear giant adidas. The agreement is worth a reported £300m over five seasons.

The Daily Mirror says that the new deal, which starts on 1 July 2019, will work out at £60m per season for the north London club – more than double the current deal they have with Puma.

The return of adidas as Arsenal’s kit provider brings back happy memories for Gunners fans and club icon Ian Wright.

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Arsenal last wore adidas kits in the 1993-94 season. Wright welcomed the return by posting a picture of himself wearing the iconic yellow zigzag strip of the early 1990s.

Posting on Instagram the former Arsenal striker wrote: “Welcome back @adidas. #Arsenal #mydebutjersey #1991.”

Return of the ‘bruised banana’?

Worn from 1991-93, the adidas “bruised banana” kit has gone down in folklore for Arsenal fans but has also divided opinion.

Describing it as “the best shirt Arsenal have worn in the Premier League”, the Football Shirt Collective said: “Arsenal shirts are traditionally safe. Classic colours. Simple design. Elegant. The ‘bruised banana’, is spectacularly out there. Bright yellow with adidas stripes and covered in huge grey zigzags. It’s often derided as one of the worst Arsenal shirts ever. But we love it.”

How Arsenal fans have reacted on Twitter

Today’s news of an Arsenal-adidas deal has generated lots of fan reactions on Twitter. We round up the best tweets, as well as some concept kits that Gunners supporters would like to see…