Manchester United are set to complete the transfer of Matthijs de Ligt in what has seemed like a saga going on since he was at Ajax.
The third time’s the charm for this one as he joins after spells at Juventus and Bayern Munich in a deal that catapults him right amongst Man United’s most expensive defenders of all time.
He will be joined at Old Trafford by his club teammate Noussair Mazraoui, who arrives in a separate deal after United managed to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
With the signing in the bad pending an official announcement, the focus now turns to Matthijs de Ligt’s shirt number at Man United.
If you believe in signs by the universe, it’s a match made in heaven as two of his favourite numbers are free already!
Matthijs de Ligt shirt number at Man United
A shirt number is more than just a figure on the back of the shirt for many players. Increasingly, it has become a part of the brand identity of the player.
Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo and number seven shirt has become iconic, while much was made of the fact that Rasmus Hojlund shirt number at Man United finally reflected his role at the club.
Similarly, De Ligt, due to being a defender, has a long history with two numbers in particular, both of which are free at United.
At the club level, ever since breaking through at Ajax as a precocious 17-year-old prodigy and becoming captain at 18, De Ligt has worn the No. 4.
That has remained constant as he moved from Ajax to Juventus and Bayern, wearing this number every time.
At the international level, he has been wearing the No.3 jersey as his club number is worn by Virgil Van Dijk, his senior at both domestic and international level.
At United, he is likely to take No.4 which seems to be his preferred number which he would have worn for the Netherlands too if not for Van Dijk.
Moreover, Noussair Mazraoui’s squad number at Man United might end up being three anyway as it’s the one he has worn for his country since 2017.
Available squad numbers at Man United
De Ligt and Mazraoui to United is a match made in heaven for this reason. Both of their favourite numbers are the only major ones available at United.
Besides these two, the next smallest number available is 13, which is generally reserved for backup goalkeepers.
After that, numbers like 19, 26, 27, and 40 are unoccupied but an established first-team player is unlikely to settle for a high number.
So there you have it. Not only do De Ligt and Mazraoui fit like a glove in United’s system tactically, the stars have aligned for them in such a manner that they both will end up getting their favourite jersey number too!
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