DailySun
Price-conscious Premier League supporters are driving an increase in fake team jerseys as Christmas presents.
New data shows that fans made 48,510 online searches for counterfeit top-tier club merchandise from September to early December.
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In comparison, only 4,230 searches were made from January to August, prior to the holiday shopping season.
Counterfeit Manchester United jerseys led the searches with 17,730 inquiries.
The official adult home kit for the team is priced at £80, while the children’s version costs £55; both can be purchased for just £12 on counterfeit sites.
Betting platform Footy Accumulators, which studied the search trends, noted: “It’s disheartening to see clubs pricing out many loyal fans, forcing them to turn to counterfeit websites for Christmas gifts.”
“With inflation on the rise, a family of four looking to buy new shirts would need to spend around £370 at official stores, whereas getting them from counterfeit sites costs about £50.”
“We hope clubs across the UK consider these alarming statistics and strive to make merchandise more affordable in the future, thereby discouraging fans from seeking counterfeit options.”
Interest in Arsenal counterfeit jerseys surged by 191 percent compared to earlier this year, increasing from 680 to 5,940 leading up to Christmas, making fake Gooners jerseys the second most popular.
Newcastle fakes ranked third, with 4,830 searches, marking a significant 419 percent increase from earlier in the year.
Tottenham Hotspur took the fourth spot, as searches jumped from 440 to 3,750, a rise of 184 percent.
Liverpool followed closely in fifth place with a 169 percent increase, growing from 460 to 3,720 searches.
In sixth place, Manchester City recorded 3,150 counterfeit searches, a notable rise from 420, which translates to a 150 percent increase.
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