Finally.
After more than 12 months of speculation, negotiations, drama and more chaos than any other transfer story in recent memory, Jadon Sancho puts on Manchester United’s red shirt.
This is his home. That’s where he belongs.
Jadon Sancho is ??????. # MUFC x @ Sanchooo10 pic.twitter.com/LAIBn7ie7V
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) 23 July 2021
Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been looking for the dynamic threat on the right wing for several years now, and he could hardly have picked up a better man for the job. Sancho amassed 36 goals and 40 assists in his last two seasons with Borussia Dortmund, so United were willing to pay out a cool £ 72.9 million to sign him.
The only question left to answer is what jersey number Sancho will take. He spent the last three years with number seven, but there is no guarantee that he will get that number at Old Trafford because Edinson Cavani already has dibs on it.
United’s seven jerseys are among the most famous numbers on the planet and are usually reserved for the team’s superstar. George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are just five of many giants wearing the shirt, so it’s not hard to figure out why it comes with so much pressure.
Sancho may still end up at seven, but that requires Cavani to agree to change his own number. Uruguay may well agree, but it all depends on whether he can find another number that satisfies him. Number nine he wore with Paris Saint-Germain is taken by Anthony Martial.
If seven stay out of the table, Sancho can choose to continue the jersey number 17 he chose for England customs at Euro 2020. It seems to be his preferred option, but again that jersey has already been taken by Fred.
Would Fred care about losing his number? He chose it specifically because he used to wear it during his days as a child in Brazil, but he does not seem to be particularly attached to it. He had eight in Shakhtar Donetsk and 35 when he first broke through at Internacional.
Fred bears 17 / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
When it comes to available options, Sancho can choose to go with 12, which has been out of order since Chris Smalling’s departure from 2019, although there have been plenty of rumors that Sancho could choose 16.
Andy Mitten wrote for The National, claiming that 16 had already been reserved for Sancho and would probably be his preferred option if the famous seven jersey could not be lured away from Cavani.
Is it because it’s close to 17? Because the numbers together become seven? It really is a guess.
If none of them appeal to Sancho, he is forced to go pretty high with his number.
Cavani must agree to change / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
24 and 25 are both available, but if Sancho wants a seven in his number, he will have to settle for the 37, which have been used exclusively by young winger. The chances of that happening seem slim.
Expect United to talk to Cavani about changing their number, but if the veterans’ game chooses to stick with seven, Sancho may need to get creative with his shirt choice.
