With the summer transfer window having closed, FC Barcelona now have a conclusive squad with whom they will be contesting for all the possible trophies this season. There have been a number of changes in this squad, as some of the veterans have left the club since the end of the last season, and other players have joined in the transfer window.
Some of these new arrivals will have an important role in the squad this season. For instance, Joao Cancelo will be the team’s starting right-back this season. Similarly, Ilkay Gundogan is expected to be a mainstay in Xavi’s midfield, while Oriol Romeu will also be playing as a defensive midfielder whenever Xavi feels the need for such an enforcer.
Barcelona squad numbers announced
One of the ways in which the importance of a player for a team can be gauged is through his shirt number, and FC Barcelona have officially announced the kit numbers for the squad for this season.
The club has 19 players in the first-team squad for the 2023-24 season. The following numbers have been assigned to the squad:
- Marc Andre Ter Stegen: 1
- Joao Cancelo: 2
- Alejandro Balde: 3
- Ronald Araujo: 4
- Inigo Martinez: 5
- Gavi: 6
- Ferran Torres: 7
- Pedri: 8
- Robert Lewandowski: 9
- Raphinha: 11
- Inaki Pena: 13
- Joao Felix: 14
- Andreas Christensen: 15
- Marcos Alonso: 17
- Oriol Romeu: 18
- Sergi Roberto: 20
- Frenkie de Jong: 21
- Ilkay Gundogan: 22
- Jules Kounde: 23
Surprises and missing numbers
Some of the newcomers have been assigned important numbers as Joao Cancelo takes the number 2 shirt and Inigo Martinez takes the number 5. Other important players like Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan, Andreas Christensen, and Jules Kounde have been given later numbers, while the club captain, Sergi Roberto also takes the number 20.
The number 10 has not been assigned to anyone for now, for undisclosed reasons. This number holds a special place in FC Barcelona’s history, and it could be that the Catalan club is waiting for Vitor Roque to join in January so this number can be assigned to him. However, this is only speculation for now, and it remains to be seen who the club’s next number 10 will be.
