The preparations for the upcoming season are underway at FC Barcelona and the club has to take several steps before their first official match on 13th August. One of the matters that require the club’s attention at this time is that of players’ kit numbers.
According to Mundo Deportivo, some important players like Dembele, Lewandowski, Pedri, and Ter Stegen will keep their current numbers, but as several players have left during the last season, a set of lucrative numbers are available to be assigned to other players.
Busquets, Pique, Alba, and Bellerin all left in the last season, and their departures have left shirt numbers 5, 3, 18, and 2 free. The number 6 would also have been free, but this number will be worn by Gavi after his contract registration with La Liga goes through.
Alejandro Balde is one of the players looking for a new number for the upcoming season. The player wore number 16 last season but now prefers to inherit Alba’s number 18 for the upcoming season and beyond.
New arrivals also are yet to be assigned their numbers. Gundogan has worn number 8 for most of his senior career, but Pedri currently owns this number, as it was also worn by his idol Andres Iniesta. The German wears number 21 with his national team, but that number is also taken by De Jong.
The remaining options are 14, which was Cruyff’s number at Barcelona and was also worn by Gundogan early in his career at Dortmund, and 5, which was worn by Puyol and Busquets.
Inigo Martinez has only worn two numbers in his senior career, 4 and 6. However, as both these numbers are taken by Araujo and Gavi respectively, the new signing will have to be assigned number 3, which was his number in his latest appearance with the Spanish national team, and number 12, which he wore at Real Sociedad B.
Vitor Roque would not have to worry about his number for now as he is expected to arrive in winter, but his number 9 is currently taken by Lewandowski. So, Barcelona would have to look for other numbers for him and Oriol Romeu if he joins up this summer.
A number of current players also want to change their numbers for the upcoming season. Kounde wants to shift from 23 to 5, which is his number with the French national team. Eric Garcia also wants to get number 3 or 14, instead of his current number 24. Christensen wants number 3 for the upcoming season, which was his number with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Thus, the team’s numbers are set to be re-sorted before the start of the next season, and the club has a difficult job to provide the squad numbers wanted by these players.