Man United players told not to swap shirts as it is 'not cost effective'

Manchester United's players, including Paul Pogba (left) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have been warned off from shirt swapping with opposition players at the end of their matches. Photo / AP

Manchester United's players have reportedly been told not to swap shirts with the opposition during post-match proceedings, as it is being regarded as 'not cost effective'.

In an attempt to save money, the club have not star players, including new recruits Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who are paid £290,000 and £260,000 respectively, have been encouraged not to exchange shirts with the opposition, while gifting their shirts to fans at the end of game is also being looked down upon.

A source told The Sun: "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 club signed a 10-year mega-deal with kit manufacturer Adidas in 2014, worth £750m.

When signing the deal, Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer said: "We expect total sales to reach £1.5bn during the duration of our partnership."

The shirt sales of Swedish striker Ibrahimovic alone generated over £76m within a week of his signing for United earlier this year in July.

Despite these figures, however, the club is tightly watching over its finances the club's source told The Sun.