Manchester United have confirmed that Rasmus Hojlund has inherited the No. 9 shirt after Anthony Martial left the club as a free agent this month. But the Red Devils risk upsetting Alejandro Garnacho with their choice of who takes Hojlund's former number following the arrival of Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee.
Garnacho upgraded from his No. 49 shirt to the No. 17 last season and established himself as a crucial player for Erik ten Hag.
The 20-year-old winger was Ten Hag's joint-most-used outfield player, making 50 appearances in all competitions and starting United's final 38 games.
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He may have entered the season frustrated, though, by the club's decision about the iconic No. 7 shirt - vacant after Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive exit in the 2022/23 season.
Mason Mount was a surprising choice to don the No. 7 after his £55million transfer from Chelsea, given the history and tradition of wingers wearing the shirt at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag reportedly offered Mount the honour during discussions, which will have contributed to his decision to walk away from his boyhood club.
But many expected Garnacho to follow in his idol Ronaldo's footsteps and inherit his shirt after his breakout 22/23 campaign.
The Argentina international is in an even stronger position to wear an important shirt this season after his impressive exploits last term.
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Garnacho's goal in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City put the cherry on top of an eye-catching several months.
However, he could face further disappointment if United decide to hand the No. 11 shirt to their latest attacking signing, Zirkzee.
The 23-year-old completed a £36.5m switch earlier this month, acting as a straight replacement for Martial, who was released after a nine-year stay.
Zirkzee also wore the No. 11 as he made an impact at Bologna last season, and he recently revealed that he plans to wear it again if Hojlund switched to No. 9 as expected.
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"That [my shirt number] depends a bit on Rasmus Højlund. He's already there and he's also a striker," Zirkzee told Supergraande after his move.
"No. 9 is free, but yeah… He has 11, so I can imagine that he wants no9 now. In that case I'll take 11. At Bologna I also had 11, so that doesn't really matter to me."
On the other hand, Garnacho may be keen to retain the No. 17 shirt in which he thrived throughout his first full season as an established first-team player.
Regardless, his shirt number should be secondary. Garnacho and United's priority will be to build on his promising performances and edge closer to meeting his potential on the pitch.
