Man United to Pay Chelsea for Jose Mourinho’s Name and Signature

Man United to Pay Chelsea for Jose Mourinho’s Name and Signature

Jose Mourinho may not be completing his eagerly anticipated move to Manchester United anytime soon as his former employers Chelsea still own his name and signature.

Mourinho, 53, has reportedly agreed terms to take over Louis van Gaal’s job at Old Trafford on a three-year deal worth £12million-a-year, however, the Red Devils face a six-figure bill to secure the rights to Mourinho’s autograph and even his own name, which were trademarked by Chelsea billionaire owner Roman Abramovich in 2005.

Mirror reports that Inter Milan and Real Madrid – the two clubs Mourinho managed since he first took the job at Chelsea – used his name under license, an arrangement United aren’t interested in as they want to own it outright and negotiations are ongoing.

But according to the European United’s Intellectual Property Office database, ‘Jose Mourinho’ remains a registered trademark of Chelsea Football Club Limited until the expiration of the agreement in 2025.

Also, Mourinho and United have different official watch sponsors – Hublot and Bulova – while the Special One has an arrangement with car manufacturer Jaguar and United’s shirt sponsor is rival auto manufacturers Chevrolet.