Indonesian club sells 1,000 Michael Essien jerseys in 3 weeks

Approximately 1,000 Michael Essien replica jerseys have been sold by Persib Bandung just three weeks after the former Chelsea star was signed by the Indonesian club.

His arrival created a frenzy among the Persib supporters, known as Bobotoh, who are excited about Essien's arrival and have flocked to the stores to purchase his No 5 shirt which is going for 255,000 Indonesian Rupiah (approximately $19) apiece.

The sales mean the club has earned $19,000 from only Essien replica shirts and they remain hopeful that sales would continue on an upward trend when the Indonesian season starts on Saturday, April 15.

According to the club's Merchandise manager Achmad Gunawan, Essien's replica jerseys are so popular that even some of his teammates have purchased them.

“Shirts bearing the names such as Kim, Atep, Hariono, Vujovic, and Sergio are still among the most sought-after, but the best-selling ones are that of Michael Essien,” Achmad said.

At the current rate, Persib is on track to eclipse the 5,000 shirts replica jerseys they sold during the Indonesia Soccer Championship (ISC) last year.