Barcelona are close to agreeing a new mega-money kit manufacturing deal with Nike worth €1.7bn over the next 14 years, reports in Spain have confirmed.

The Catalan giants have had their kits produced by Nike since 2000, marking one of the most successful commercial partnerships of all time.

But it looked as if their bond would be broken when Barcelona president Joan Laporta said in March that he’d be looking to terminate their agreement because of a “flagrant” breaches of contract.

“They had 45 days to compensate us, they did not do so and we informed them that the contract was being terminated, to which they responded with precautionary measures, to which we have responded and are now seeing the solution to these measures,” Laporta ranted.

“They have tried to improve the contract, but they have made efforts that are not enough because we know that the market pays more. The easy thing would be to continue with Nike with a contract below the market, but sometimes the easy thing is not the best for the club.”

Some six months on, there were fresh reports that Barcelona and Nike were ‘very close’ to performing a U-turn, in a deal that would have a significant positive impact on the club’s precarious finances.

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo report, citing various sources, that a fresh agreement is indeed in place – one that will commit Barcelona and Nike to one another until 2038.

The deal is said to include a €158m signing-on bonus for Barcelona, to be paid over the course of the agreement. They will also earn an extra €127m annually, taking the overall value of the deal towards the €1.7bn mark.

Nike’s brand rival, PUMA, who are the kit manufacturer for Premier League champions Manchester City among others, are understood to have tabled a formal offer, but will now watch on as Barcelona’s partnership with the world’s most iconic sports brand stretches towards the 40-year mark.

The FA Women’s National League is set for a dramatic Sunday at the top of at least four of its divisions in which the leading pairs clash.

The Northern Premier’s top two are away to mid-table opposition, as leaders Wolves travel to Liverpool Feds and Nottingham Forest – two points of pole position with a game in hand – go to West Brom.

Burnley – who have played fewer matches than all their title rivals – visit Sporting Khalsa, while Rugby host Hull and Stoke are away at Halifax, with Derby entertaining Stourbridge in the other fixture.

Hashtag United versus Oxford United is a clash of the Southern Premier’s leading pair, Ipswich are well-placed with two games in hand and on the road at Cheltenham.

Exeter head to Watford, fifth plays sixth with Billericay home to Wimbledon, while Plymouth take on Gwalia United and Lewes are at basement side MK Dons.

Division 1 Midlands also has its top two going head-to-head with Leafield playing Peterborough, Northampton and Loughborough – who have played fewer games than the top two – host Solihull and Sutton Coldfield respectively.

Middlesbrough lead Division 1 North and are away to Doncaster, Chorley in second face Leeds in fourth, Cheadle sit fifth ahead of hosting Huddersfield in fifth.

Yet another meeting of a leading pair comes in Division 1 South East with Norwich City against Actonians. Real Bedford and Chatham can catch the top two with a game in hand, while Dulwich and Sudbury are not far off the pace ahead of their meeting.

Not only does Division 1 South West feature second against first but both are unbeaten and AFC Bournemouth even with a 100% record before playing Swindon at the Vitality Stadium.

Over 100 top women’s soccer stars, including former US team captain Becky Sauerbrunn and Dutch ace Vivianne Miedema, have penned an open letter slamming FIFA for their sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian oil giants Aramco.

The players described the partnership, which is part of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, as “much worse than an own goal,” calling out Saudi Arabia’s controversial record on female and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as Aramco’s contribution to the climate crisis.

Sauerbrunn voiced concerns about the well-being of women currently incarcerated in Saudi Arabia.

“The safety of those women, the rights of women, LGBTQ+ rights and the health of the planet need to take a much bigger priority over FIFA making more money,” Sauerbrunn said in comments via campaign group Athletes Of The World.

The letter openly challenges FIFA to secure replacement sponsors which are in harmony with values of gender equality, human rights, and environmental sustainability; it also urges that players be consulted on ethical aspects of future sponsorships.

“This letter shows that as players this is what we don’t want to stand for and accept within women’s football. It’s simple: this sponsorship is contradicting FIFA’s own commitments to human rights and the planet,” declared Miedema.

In a partnership that saw FIFA and Saudi Arabia draw closer, a deal with Aramco was sealed in April. Come December, FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup, with no rival bids on the horizon.