Despite Mason Mount taking the famous number seven shirt at Manchester United, there are still some iconic shirt numbers available to potential Old Trafford incomings.
United’s new acquisition certainly has big shoes to fill. George Best, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have all donned the number seven, with each writing their name into club legend with their dazzling performances in a red jersey.
Erik ten Hag will be eager to make sure that Mount is not the only new face in the red half of Manchester this summer. The Dutch coach has plenty of options available to him, but with only just over a month until the new Premier League season begins, the United boss may want to get a move on.
Here are some of the numbers available to potential United signings.
David de Gea’s uncertain future at Old Trafford means that the number one shirt could be available next season. Technically, it is available at present with De Gea’s contract having expired in June, despite the fact that negotiations are still taking place between club and player.
Pretty much all the great goalkeepers in United’s history have worn the number one shirt. Edwin van der Sar, Peter Schmeichel, Alex Stepney, Harry Gregg…the list goes on and on. De Gea has earned his place among them and has been the club’s number one ever since his arrival 12 years ago.
Andre Onana, who is hopeful of completing a move to Old Trafford, would be the obvious candidate to take the number one. The 27-year-old has worn the number before but tends to favour the 24 shirt having worn it at Ajax and Inter – a number that is also available at Old Trafford.
While the number three is not officially available, it likely will be imminently. Current owner Eric Bailly has been consistently linked with a move away from Old Trafford and is seemingly not in Ten Hag’s future plans. Following a season-long loan at Marseille, it looks like it’s lights out for the centre-back.
The number three has traditionally been occupied by a left-back at United, with some of the club’s greatest donning it. Denis Irwin wore it for just over a decade during the 1990s and more recently the great Patrice Evra managed nine years in it.
With Ten Hag unlikely to recruit another full-back, United may reserve the number for a potential incoming centre-back. Napoli’s Kim Min-jae would have been an obvious choice but looks destined for Bayern Munich, while Monaco’s Axel Disasi has also been linked.
The other alternative is United go full Asamoah Gyan and offer it to their new centre-forward.
No Manchester United signing has been able to get their hands on the number four shirt since 2011 as it belonged to Phil Jones. Having now left the club on a free transfer, it is finally up for grabs.
Four has not been blessed with great success at Old Trafford in recent times. You have to date back to the early 1990s for a really great player to wear the shirt consistently at United in Steve Bruce. Juan Sebastian Veron was a flop, while Gabriel Heinze was too shortlived.
Again, it would likely be a number reserved for a new centre-back, but it could possibly go to a rogue defensive-midfielder. If links with Romeo Lavia materialise, perhaps he could be the man to fill it. The alternative isthat Raphael Varane takes it, having worn it throughout his France career, and thereby also freeing up his current number 19 shirt for someone else.
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A number usually left for the backup goalkeeper at United, the number 13 has not been worn since Lee Grant announced his retirement in 2022. He managed just two appearances in it and joined fellow shot-stoppers Anders Lindegaard and Roy Carroll in wearing the shirt.
If De Gea were to not sign a new deal and Dean Henderson moves on as is expected, United could need two new goalkeeper signings, with one of them opting for the unlucky 13.
Alternatively, it can be an outfield number as cult hero Park Ji-sung showed for seven years.
15, 24, 30, 31, 32, 35, 37 and 38 are the other numbers under 40 available at Old Trafford.
15 would likely be inherited by Marcel Sabitzer should he join the club permanently from Bayern Munich given he wore the number on loan at the club last season.
There is not an immediately obvious number for a new striker to take this summer, a position which United are desperate to strenghten. The Red Devils’ new centre-forward would likely have to settle for an interim number until Anthony Martial gives up the fabled number nine.
Possible exits for Harry Maguire, Fred and Alex Telles could also free up the number 5, 17 and 27 jerseys respectively,
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