Jack Grealish is reportedly being lined up for a huge sponsorship deal with Puma.
According to the Telegraph, the Manchester City midfielder is on the verge of signing a deal with the German sports brand, leaving his former deal with Nike in the process.
It’s reportedly set to be the biggest sponsorship deal for any player in the UK. There have been a number of huge sponsorship deals throughout European football in recent years.
And with Grealish on the verge of a huge pay deal, the team at Betting.com have looked at the biggest player sponsorship deals in football history.
Here are the top 7
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Taking the top spot for earning the most money from sponsorships is Cristiano Ronaldo, earning $45 million annually; mainly from his deal with Nike. One of the most famous footballers of all time with over 550 million Instagram followers, it comes as no shock to anyone that the current Al Nassar striker and ex-Manchester United legend has landed some huge sponsorship deals, thanks to his enormous influence.
2. Lionel Messi
In second place comes recent Argentinian World Cup winner and Paris Saint-Germain number 10, Lionel Messi. With deals amounting to $34 million, some of his biggest include his collaboration with Adidas and, most recently, a deal with cryptocurrency platform, Socios.com. With many arguing that Messi is the greatest footballer of all time, like Ronaldo, his gargantuan worldwide influence makes him extremely sought-after by brands looking to spread their reach.
3. Naymar Jr
In third sport is Neymar Jr, who also holds the title for the most expensive football player transfer of all time, costing PSG 222 million euros to purchase him from Barcelona. The expenses don’t stop there, with his sponsorship deals being worth around $31 million. The Brazil national star has huge deals with brands such as Netflix, Epic Games and Qatar Airways, amounting to a huge yearly income for the player.
4. Paul Pogba
Up next is Paul Pogba, the French national star and ex-Man United midfielder, who earns an income of around $28 million from sponsors alone, with deals from Adidas and Pepsi. Pogba now plays for Italian club Juventus, but has not had any game time since he returned to his old club on a free transfer due to injury. Photo: PAUL ELLIS