RUMOURS: Chelsea's bizarre reason to delay Mourinho's Man Utd appointment

The west London outfit registered their former manager's name as a trademark in 2005, an agreement that has caused a hold-up in his unveiling as the Red Devils' new boss

Jose Mourinho's appointment as Manchester United manager is being held up as Chelsea still own the rights to his name, according to The Independent.

The Portuguese has agreed personal terms with United but, as detailed by the European Union's Intellectual Property Office database, 'Jose Mourinho' is a trademark registered of Chelsea.

Mourinho's signature was also registered by the club but expired in January 2016, although the ownership of the manager's name will not expire until March 31, 2025.

The newspaper also claim other image rights are delaying an official announcement, namely United and Mourinho's opposing watch partners, with United teaming up with Bulova and Mourinho with Hublot.