Manchester United kit on sale first in China

A few weeks ago, the first pictures of a ‘new’ Manchester United kit were leaked online.

Paul Pogba of Manchester United during the premier league match at the Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom on February 25, 2018. [Photo: IC/Simon Bellis/Sportimage/Cal Sport Media]

The retro Adidas strip, which resembles the classic kits of clubs in the 1950s and 1960s, is part of a series of heritage designs by the sportswear firm.

In a testament to the growing importance of the Chinese market to both the fashion and sports industries, this retro kit is now available to buy in China before anywhere else.

That’s according to the Manchester Evening News, who report that it could be several weeks until local supporters can get their hands on the kit – and even then it could be much more expensive.

The news comes at an exciting time for Manchester United in China.

In February, we reported that the team had come top in the ‘Red Card 2018′ – a recognized annual survey of football clubs’ digital success in China.

Real Madrid was in second position, with FC Bayern in third, Arsenal in fourth and Liverpool in fifth.

Despite the high number of British clubs in the Red Card table, the Premier League wasn’t found to be the most influential European division on social media in China.

That honour went to the Bundesliga, with the Premier League in second and La Liga in third.

The survey didn’t just study clubs, however. There was also a detailed account of the Chinese social media presence of a number of international players.

On that front, the winner was Lionel Messi, who accumulated more than 1 million new Chinese followers over 2017.

Apparently, follower numbers for all European players in China grew by 44 percent over the year, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking second place in the player category, and Anthony Martial coming third.