Budget-conscious Premier League supporters are driving an increase in counterfeit team jerseys for Christmas presents.

Recent data reveals that fans made 48,510 online searches for fake merchandise from top-tier clubs between September and early December.

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In stark contrast, only 4,230 searches occurred from January to August, prior to the holiday shopping season.

Counterfeit Manchester United jerseys led the list with 17,730 searches.

The official adult home jersey retails for £80, while the children’s version costs £55; counterfeit versions can be found online for just £12.

According to betting platform Footy Accumulators, which studied the search trends, “It’s disheartening to see clubs pricing out many loyal fans, forcing them to seek counterfeit websites for gifts this Christmas.”

“With inflation rising, a family of four aiming to buy new shirts would spend around £370 at official retailers, while purchasing from counterfeit sites brings the cost down to about £50.”

“We hope that clubs in the UK take these concerning statistics into account and strive to make merchandise more affordable in the future, preventing supporters from resorting to counterfeit options.”

Interest in Arsenal counterfeit jerseys skyrocketed by 191 percent compared to earlier this year, rising from 680 to 5,940 as Christmas approached, making fake Gooners jerseys the second most popular.

Newcastle fakes ranked third with 4,830 searches, up an impressive 419 percent from earlier this year.

Tottenham Hotspur came in fourth, with demand increasing from 440 to 3,750, a rise of 184 percent.

Liverpool followed closely in fifth with a 169 percent increase, moving from 460 to 3,720 searches.

In sixth position, Manchester City recorded 3,150 counterfeit searches, rising significantly from 420, marking a 150 percent increase.

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