Aston Villa and kit manufacturer Castore are expected to agree an early termination of the shirt contract after Castore supplied 'wet looking' shirts which caused complaints from Aston Villa players, via the Telegraph.
Aston Villa to End Castore Deal
This season, the quality of Castore's shirts has reached an alarming level, with serious flaws appearing on their shirts time and time again.
It Doesn't Stop: Castore Newcastle 23-24 Kit Rips Again
At Aston Villa, fans noticed the poor quality of the stitching at the start of the season. A number of stitches had come undone, leaving a burgundy thread out of place.
Poor Quality from Castore, Example #172
To make matters worse, in recent times Aston Villa has always had a 'wet look' to them, which led to players complaining that the shirt was heavy and affected their performance.
Update: Aston Villa Players Complain About Sweaty Castore Kits
The Aston Villa women's team are also unwilling to wear these 'wet' outfits in competition because they are too tight and cling to the body.
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.
If this issue cannot be resolved, Aston Villa will terminate Castore's contract shortly.
Newcastle United invoked an exit clause in their deal with Castore, which means that from next season the club will have their kits made by Adidas.
Adidas & Newcastle United Attack Castore
Villa’s co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns a stake in German sports manufacturer Adidas, which has prompted speculation that the Midlands club could look to follow Newcastle in moving from Castore to Adidas.
What do you think as Aston Villa and Castore prepare to end their contract? Do you think Castore will improve the quality of his shirts in the near future?