28 September 2023 , 21:00
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Aston Villa are seeking an early termination of their deal with kit manufacturer Castore after their 'wet-look' shirts have prompted complaints from both their men's and women's teams.
Talks have been held over cancelling the multi-year contract between the club and Castore, who say they have been made aware of Villa's complaints and have promised to act swiftly to resolve the issue.
Villa's men's players have complained that the shirts feel heavy and tough to play in during matches, with the kits growing noticeably wetter throughout games as players sweat. The women's side were said to be 'dreading' playing in them in their Women's Super League opener at home to Manchester United this weekend, a game which will be screened live on BBC Two.
The Telegraph report that talks have been held over finding a way to end the partnership between Villa and Castore at the end of this season, while further discussions are also under way about finding a temporary solution which could be put in place from this weekend's games for the men's and women's sides.
A Castore spokesman 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.
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Villa's women, seen here in last season's kit, have been 'dreading' playing in this season's version (PA)"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."
Castore also manufacture shirts for Newcastle and Wolves, and while neither club has seemingly suffered from the 'wet-look' issue, Newcastle have invoked an exit clause in their deal with the manufacturer and will move to Adidas from next season, something Villa may also look to do.
Villa's men's players raises their complaints after wearing the shirts in 10 matches across the Premier League, Europa Conference League and Carabao Cup this season, while the women's team also experienced issues when wearing them in their pre-season programme prior to the WSL starting.
BBC Sport commentator Jacqui Oatley believes the issue has affected Villa's preparations for the new campaign, saying: “Normally they’d absolutely relish those games and look forward to them. But they’re actually dreading it because they’re really conscious about how they’re going to look in this wet, clingy kit - for obvious reasons."