Jose Mourinho’s appointment as manager of Manchester United may be complicated by the fact that Chelsea still 'own' his name.

The Portuguese coach is expected to be confirmed as the club’s new manager in the coming days, with both parties having agreed his salary and the length of his contract.

Only issues regarding Mourinho’s image rights remain an, though these still need to be resolved before the appointment can be confirmed, there is little chance of such obstacles scuppering the deal.

However, negotiations may now also have to consider the bizarre fact that Chelsea, Mourinho’s former employers, own the rights to his name.

The European Union’s Intellectual Property Office database confirms that ‘Jose Mourinho’ is registered as a trademark of Chelsea Football Club Limited.

Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Show all 9 1 /9 Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Memphis Depay His Under Armor advertisements sum up his United career – odd, cost a lot, not really worth watching. While a fresh start may be offered, it wouldn’t shock many should Mourinho plan to sell him. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Juan Mata With an inability to track back central to Mourinho’s reasoning for selling him to United, his departure is now widely expected with Mourinho’s imminent arrival. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Michael Carrick Out of contract come June, Carrick is desperate to stay at United, but with a defensive midfielder on Mourinho’s shopping list, he might prove unwanted. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Bastian Schweinsteiger With yet another season blighted by injury, will Mourinho come to the same conclusion as his arch-nemesis Guardiola? Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Adnan Januzaj After a disappointing loan spell at Dortmund and barely a sniff of first team action this past season, Januzaj looks far from the finished product – a product that Mourinho might pass on. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Paddy McNair Given some game time by Van Gaal amid a lack of defensive options, Mourinho will surely want to protect himself by buying in the window – and selling players not up to scratch. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Tyler Blackett Similar to McNair, Blackett might prove simply not good enough for the League chasing side Mourinho plans to build. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Ashley Young Is he a winger or a left back? A right back? Maybe even a centre-forward? We can never be sure with Young. But with a year left on his 120k-a-week contract, Mourinho might be looking to ship him. Getty Who would Jose Mourinho sell at Man Utd? Marcos Rojo Frustrating and inconsistent, Rojo has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, and with Barca apparently interested, United and Mourinho might cash in. Getty

The application was received in March 2005, during the Portuguese coach’s first season at the club. It was registered the following year and Chelsea’s ownership of the name is only due to expire in 2025.

Mourinho's name is trademarked under five classes of goods, according to the Intellectual Property Office, for use on products as diverse as aftershave, calculators, shawls and cigarette holders.

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The 53-year-old's signature is also trademarked by Chelsea, having been registered in January 2006.

Since 2006, Mourinho has left Chelsea twice and taken charge of both Internazionale and Real Madrid. The trademarking of his name was not a barrier to him managing either of those clubs and it is not expected to be one in United's case either.

The quirk was noted by Jake Cohen, a sports lawyer, who suggested on Wednesday that Chelsea's trademarking of the name may have to factor into any image rights negotiations.

Records from both the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office and the UK Government's Intellectual Property Office confirm Cohen's claim.

A number of other conflicts of interest must also be resolved before the appointment can be confirmed. Mourinho and United each have different official watch sponsors - Hublot and Bulova respectively.