Unsurprisingly, the rate of inflation on replica kits has become a major talking point ahead of the World Cup after England released the most expensive shirt in their history.
England unveiled their latest home and away kits ahead of this summer's tournament in a launch that came just hours after Thomas Tuchel named a 35-man squad for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
The kit launch was described as "a new era for the Three Lions", with the design being described as "fresh", but for many potential buyers, the hype around the drop was hampered after a quick glance at the pricing list.
An adult “match” shirt has been priced at £134.99, an eight per cent increase on the most recent European Championship release, while a standard adult “stadium” shirt has gone up almost six per cent to a record £89.99.
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For context, England's "match" shirt could be bought for £114.95 ahead of the 2022 World Cup, while a "stadium" jersey cost £74.95.
If you want to kit out the little ones this summer, a junior “stadium” jersey will set you back £64.99, and if you want to customise the shirt with a name and number, that will cost an extra £15.
Meanwhile, fans will have to fork out an eye-watering £114.99 for a junior “match” edition jersey, according to figures published by The Telegraph.
Given the cost-of-living crisis in the UK, many have raised eyebrows following the price increase, with fans taking to social media to voice their thoughts.
One account wrote: "If you wanted to buy your child aged between 7 to 15 the full new England kit, with a name on the back, it would cost a parent £123 per child. There's just no way this is fair or realistic for ANY fan!" and a second said: "Utter disgrace."
A third commented: "The debate for the cost of England shirts happens every time a new one is released. And so it should be. It's disgusting how much it is to purchase the national sides shirt. And the big wigs wonder why people buy the alternative. £123 to kit my 5 year old out. Nope."
England's kit manufacturers Nike have since addressed the costs in a statement.
“We know that any price increase matters to fans, and we never take that lightly," a spokesman said.
"We regularly review our product costs to make sure we’re delivering the best possible performance and industry-leading innovation, while balancing rising material, manufacturing and logistics costs.”
In total, it costs around £8.50 for an official adult replica shirt to be manufactured and shipped, with an additional £9.50 cost for marketing, licensing and distribution, according to analysis by sports merchandise expert Dr Peter Rohlmann, as per the BBC.
Thoughts on the pricing? Let us know in the comments.
Topics: England, Nike, FIFA World Cup
Jack Kenmare