Manchester City are close to agreeing a £50m-a-year kit deal with Puma as Nike deal nears conclusion

Manchester City are said to be closing in on signing a £50m-a-year ($66.6m) kit deal with sportswear giant Puma, which will become the biggest commercial deal in the club's history.

The Etihad Stadium's current kit deal with Nike brings in around £20m-a-year and concludes at the end of the current campaign. City are keen to maximise on their growing popularity and are looking for terms on par with their Premier League rivals.

Chelsea's recent deal with Nike earns them around £60m-a-year, while the Manchester giants are also keen to challenge arch rivals and neighbours Manchester United on the commercial front but are some way off the Old Trafford club's £75m-a-year deal with Adidas.

According to the Daily Mail, talks between Pep Guardiola's team and Puma are nearing completion. The club and the sportswear giant, however, are yet to confirm any deal in the pipeline.

If City sign the deal with the German sports manufacturer, they will eclipse Arsenal, who are Puma's biggest clients in the Premier League at the moment, but at £30m-a-year. They will also move ahead of Liverpool, who earn £25m-a-year from American sportswear giant Warrior.

City, meanwhile, continue to be the favourites for the Premier League title and Guardiola has no plans ease up when the league leaders travel to the Kirklees Stadium to take on Huddersfield Town on Sunday (26 November).

The Spanish coach has warned his team against complacency and believes their opponents have every chance to cause an upset like they did when they beat Manchester United earlier in the season. They do have some experience of playing at the Kirklees after playing out a goalless draw in the FA Cup last season.

"Be careful,'" Guardiola said, before pointing to last season's FA Cup goalless draw at Huddersfield, as quoted by the Guardian. "We know exactly what happens, we were there, and sometimes you have to accept the opponent is better."

"At home they have had good results. When they decide to make high pressing they are so well organised. The result against United is a good signal. At home they've had good results, they are intense.

"Huddersfield will be complicated. There will be a big atmosphere but it's the same as Brighton [where City won 2-0]; people said it's not easy but it's normal that it's difficult. But complacency will not happen," he added.