Manchester United bans players from swapping shirts in attempt to save money
Superstars told it is 'not cost effective' to trade after matches
MANCHESTER United’s aces are under orders not to swap shirts with opponents to save cash.
Superstars including £260,000-a-week striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been told it is “not cost effective”, a source revealed yesterday.
The Swede, 34, was issued with the same shirt ration as teammates such as England captain Wayne Rooney to start the season — two with short sleeves and two with long sleeves.
Handing them to fans at the end of games is also frowned on.
The source said: “They are asked not to swap shirts so they don’t have to be replaced. It seems daft given how much the club is worth.”
The ban, which also applies to £89million new signing Paul Pogba, follows last year’s FA Cup clash with lowly Cambridge United, which told its players not to swap shirts because it was cash-strapped.
related stories
Manchester United is one of the world’s richest clubs, worth £2billion. It signed a £750million ten-year kit deal with Adidas in 2014.
If all Manchester United players swapped shirts the bill would be £660.
The source said: “The owners have a reputation for keeping an eye on costs.”