Man United released their new home shirt in June and their new away shirt last month as fans flocked to the Old Trafford megastore to get decked out for the new campaign

A customer leaves after shopping at the Megastore at Old Trafford football ground, home of Manchester United Football Club, in Manchester, UK, on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. Manchester United FCs owners are considering opening up the iconic English football club to a new investor -- with private equity firms likely to be crowding the field alongside high-net worth individuals. Photographer: Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A Manchester United fan leaves the club’s megastore at Old Trafford(Image: Bloomberg, Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Manchester United supporters have been left disappointed as they are unable to get the names of three club legends printed on their kits, it has been confirmed.

The Red Devils unveiled their new home shirt in June and their away kit last month, with fans rushing to the Old Trafford megastore to gear up for the new season. However, those hoping to add a touch of nostalgia to their new shirts will be let down.

A notice at the store reveals that due to ‘licensing restrictions,’ the club cannot print the names of iconic number 7s Eric Cantona, David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo.

A source from the club confirmed that United does not own the trademarks of the former players and therefore lacks the ability or licence right to print their names, reports the Manchester Evening News.

This situation is not recent and has been the case for several years, according to the source.

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It’s reportedly the same scenario at Real Madrid, who are also prohibited from printing the name of Cristiano Ronaldo, another icon at the Bernabéu, they added.

Several supporters expressed surprise at the rule.

“That’s really odd,” one United fan commented on X. “Modern football just gets weirder,” another remarked.

A third queried: “What if I call my son Beckham and he wants his own name on his shirt?”.

While a fourth questioned: “How can you copyright a name lol I’m pretty sure there’s more people with those names.”

A sign stating the rule at the United megastore

United kick off their league campaign on August 17 when they take on Arsenal at Old Trafford. Before that, they round off their tour of America against Everton, before facing Fiorentina next weekend.

So far, fans have been able to get two new names on their back of their shirts with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both bolstering Ruben Amorim’s ranks.

The Portuguese coach wants more before the window closes, though, with a central striker still on his wishlist.

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