Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne has become the latest player to jump on board with Jay-Z's Roc Nations Sports by announcing his partnership with the agency this afternoon. The Belgian playmaker becomes the third Premier League player to sign for Roc Nation, joining Romelu Lukaku and Eric Bailly from across the Manchester divide.
This is arguably the most significant signing for Roc Nations Sports in terms of presence, with De Bruyne climbing on board having previously been represented by J&S International. Given that Roc Nation Sports is an American company, the majority of headline names on their clientele list are from American football, basketball and baseball, but their name is growing in Europe, and the addition of De Bruyne is a strong move.
What originated as Jay-Z's entertainment company, Roc Nation, has now branched out to Roc Nation Sports; an agency that aims to develop the career of professional sportspeople on and off the field by looking after commercial deals, media relations and the 'brand strategy' of their clients, including; Kevin Durant, Dez Bryant, Jerome Boateng, and Miguel Cotto.
It's worth mentioning that shortly after Bailly and De Bruyne's international teammate Lukaku signed for Roc Nation, they both signed contracts with PUMA Football – a brand that have very close ties to Roc Nation Sports. Interestingly enough, De Bruyne is contracted to Manchester City until 2023, and that long term deal coincides with PUMA taking over the reigns at the Etihad Stadium in the summer. Could that set up De Bruyne for a switch from Nike to PUMA? The indications are strong, but it would likely depend on the length remaining on De Bruyne's current contract with the Swoosh.
Allegiance pledged. Roc Nation sports are quietly becoming a key name in the European football market.
