Journalist Aaron Stokes has claimed he could see Newcastle United cutting their ties with kit manufacturers Castore very soon.

The Lowdown: Newcastle making moves off the pitch

It has been well-documented that Castore has made numerous mistakes when it comes to delivering suitable merchandise to Newcastle fans since supplying the club's teamwear - and that may well cost them their contract.

There have been reports and suggestions that a return to Adidas could be on the cards now that Newcastle are pushing at the right end of the table and looking to make moves both on and off the pitch.

However, it will likely be difficult for the club to negotiate their way out of the current contract with Castore as it's not widely known how long the deal is set to last, with Newcastle claiming it was a 'multi-year deal' when it was announced in July 2021.

The Latest: Castore could be coming to an end

Stokes dropped an exciting take on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel, claiming he could see a scenario where PIF can cut their ties with Castore in the not-too-distant future.

He said: "I think you only have to look on social media to see how many problems they've had with this deal. Peter Silverstone - who's come in at the club as the new chief commercial officer - very, very good partnership with Arsenal when he was at that club [with Adidas], so you can easily see why the links are there.

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"I wouldn't be too surprised if they did end that [Castore] deal early."

The Verdict: PIF looking to take the next step

While Newcastle's progress on the pitch has been clear for everyone to see, the work they are doing behind the scenes is perhaps going unnoticed, and providing fans with a more reliable kit manufacturer in the form of Adidas would be a huge step in a positive direction.

Having a lucrative deal with a major brand like Adidas, which currently provides kits for five other Premier League clubs, could have a transformational knock-on effect on Newcastle's fortunes.

For example, the German apparel brand's deals with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are thought to be worth around £75m per season. In contrast, the Magpies' current Castore agreement only rakes in about £5m annually. Therefore, it is easy to see how Newcastle could use such a tie-up to their advantage on the pitch.

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards has recently reported that Yasir Al-Rumayyan has been on Tyneside recently to conduct performance reviews with senior members at the club to see how he can help keep the club progressing.

If Newcastle wish to do so and earn a spot among the country's elite, they will have to ensure they get things such as kit manufacturers and sponsorships right, as that is how they start to globalise as a club.