Van Persie remains top-selling shirt in Premier League
Manchester United striker most popular name on back of replica kits for second year running
Robin van Persieâs popularity remains undiminished as the Manchester United striker was the most popular name to appear on the back of Barclays Premier League replica shirts for the second consecutive campaign, despite a disappointing season for the Old Trafford side in 2013/14.
The rankings, as revealed in the Premier League Season Review 2103/14, is based on the worldwide sale of shirts and is compiled by Sporting iD, who since 1993 have developed the technology behind the players and replica products of the Barclays Premier League, and it found that Liverpoolâs challenge for the title last season helped the popularity of their players with captain Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, the leagueâs top goalscorer, being the second and third-most popular names on the back of shirts respectively.
Arsenalâs Mesut Ozil, who signed in August 2013, was the most popular choice for fans of Arsene Wengerâs side, ranked fifth, while Juan Mata, who changed the Chelsea shirt for that of Manchester United in the January transfer window, entered the top 10 after missing out the previous season.
Sergio Aguero remains the most popular player for fans of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League champions, Manchester City, while Eden Hazard still tops the poll of Chelsea players, climbing to fourth overall.
âAfter a remarkable season that went to the wire, players such as Van Persie, Suarez, Hazard and Gerrard lit up the league and captivated Premier League fans across the world,â Robert Thayne,Sporting iDâs Global License Director, said. âSupporters are clearly showing their loyalty to these players and their clubs by personalising shirts with official Premier League player names, numbers and sleeve badgesâ.
Top 10 selling names on Barclays Premier League replica shirts
2013/14_________2012/13
Van Persie_______Van Persie
Gerrard_________Rooney
Suarez__________Kagawa
Hazard__________Kun Aguero
Ozil_____________Torres
Rooney__________Hazard
Kun Aguero_______Suarez
Mata____________Wilshere
Kagawa__________Chamberl ain
Lampard_________Cazorla
Gerrard and Suarez 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Rooney dropping, and that will drop further with their new signings.
Blurb from Kitbag:
Manchester United duo Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria dominated Premier League shirt sales this summer.
The Colombia international's new No.9 United shirt accounted for 33 per cent of all sales globally during the week following his deadline day arrival on loan from Monaco. In comparison, Di Maria boasted 24% of first-week sales, while Alexis Sanchez and Mario Balotelli totalled just 13%.
Di Maria, though, has proved the most popular at Old Trafford with 20.6% all sales including the Argentine's name and number.
Arsenal and Chelsea enjoyed a similar boost with Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas making up 36.4% and 26.6% of all sales at the clubs, respectively, according to online sportwear retailer Kitbag.
Steven Gerrard continues to lead the way at Liverpool with 23.7% of sales, while 33.7% of Manchester City fans opted for Sergio Aguero's name and number this summer.
"It's clear that the English Premier League continues to capture the imagination of fans across the entire world," said Kitbag chief executive Andy Anson.
"Major signings will always inspire excitement, but after a hugely entertaining World Cup in Brazil, the interest has definitely intensified.
"Players who join the Premier League, or those who continue to have a strong link to it, are clearly in high demand when it comes to buying personalised replica shirts."