ASTON VILLA are set to end their Castore kit deal early, according to reports.
Players from both the men’s and women’s teams have complained the wet-look shirts brought in for this season are affecting performance levels.
Several fans and kit experts have noticed that Villa’s Castore jerseys seemed to cling to the players’ bodies, with one supporter suggesting it looks “like they just came out of the bath.”
Talks have taken place between the club and the manufacturer and it appears the long-term deal between the pair will be terminated at the end of the season, according to The Telegraph.
However it is not clear whether such talks were fuelled by the problem with this season’s shirts.
Castore have responded to the controversy by stating they intend to “address this issue as quickly as possible to meet the standards we expect”.
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The British company is also exploring short-term fixes ahead of the weekend, which will see Aston Villa Women open their WSL campaign against Manchester United.
A Castore spokesperson said: “There has been some media speculation about a potential issue in the football kit supplied by Castore to Aston Villa Football Club.
“We are working closely in collaboration with the club to address this issue as quickly as possible to meet the standards we expect. We would like to thank the club for their patience and support to date.
“As a proud new British brand, we always hold ourselves to the highest of standards and strive to do everything we can to constantly improve the performance of our products. This means addressing any customer concerns with promptness and humility.”
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Aston Villa could now begin searching for a new manufacturing partner and could follow in the footsteps of Newcastle, who also cut short their deal with Castore to team up with adidas.
That’s because Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns a stake adidas, who also make Arsenal, Manchester United, Fulham and Nottingham Forest’s kits.
Castore produce kits for one other Premier League club – Wolves.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
