It is still the question with which jersey number Cristiano Ronaldo will play at Manchester Untied. The 36-year-old attacker – who is taken over from Juventus by the English superpower – has been playing with the number 7 on the shirt for years, but seems to have to settle for a different number when he returns to England. Edinson Cavani is currently wearing Ronaldo’s favorite jersey number and is not allowed to change according to the rules of the Premier League.
Previously, there were reports that the number 7 shirt would be released with the departure of Daniel James from Manchester United. The 23-year-old winger leaves for Leeds United for 28 million euros and wore the jersey number 21. Cavani would be willing to take over that number, allowing Ronaldo to play with 7. However, this does not seem to be possible under the rules of the Premier League.
The rules of the English league prescribe that when a player with a certain jersey number starts the season, he cannot change it before the end of the season. Unless the player in question makes a transfer to another club, but a departure of Cavani from Manchester United is currently out of the question. For the same reason, Ronaldo can’t even wear 9 – the jersey number he wore in his first year at Real Madrid when Raul played 7 – as Anthony Martial wears that jersey number.
Jadon Sancho also actually wanted the shirt with number 7. But because this was not possible, he opted for 25: 2 plus 5 is still 7. Ronaldo would still go for shirt number 28, which he wore at the beginning of his career at Sporting Portugal , to be able to choose. The jersey number 17 was also mentioned as a possibility, because Ronaldo once wore it with the Portuguese national team. Fred, however, plays with 17 on the shirt. Manchester United could also decide to ask the Premier League for an exception to the rules.
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