admin Manchester United’s number seven shirt has been vacant since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in November 2022. Here are some contenders that could take on the famous number, including Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho.
Ever since one fateful November week where Cristiano Ronaldo lost all composure, went off on one to Piers Morgan about the state of Manchester United and had his contract terminated by mutual consent, the Red Devils have been without a number seven.
Curiously, it felt like a turning point in their season. Erik ten Haga’s men were reunited as Marcus Rashford went supernova, winning the Carabao Cup and securing third place in the Premier League.
There are many reasons why Manchester United fans are optimistic about the 2023/24 season (even if they haven’t achieved all their transfer goals and the sale of the club is dragging on).
Ten Hag boast brilliant stars who will compete for the iconic number 7 shirt. Here are the best candidates to take on such a big responsibility.
Antony
Man Utd’s reckless pursuit of Antony cost them £82m and it was a transfer that could easily be singled out and blamed for wrecking the modern transfer market.He’s certainly a capable winger but has never been very productive during his time at Ajax. When you’re paying that much money for an attacking player, you’d better hope they’re a natural born sniper.
To be fair to Antony, his eight-goal tally for the Red Devils is pretty impressive, but in every other area of his game it falls far short of the required standard.
The positive for Man Utd is that he is only 23 and it was his first year in England.He’s unlikely to be worse off next season, but he’s not ready to wear the number seven shirt any time soon.
Jadon Sancho
On paper, Jadon Sancho’s 2022/23 Premier League season wasn’t too bad, recording six goals and three assists in 26 games (including 21 meetings).
But the fact that we also have to mention the £72m winger shows just how much his shares have fallen since he joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.
Shame for Sancho as the only real reason he didn’t take the number seven upon his arrival was that it was already assigned to Edinson Cavani. Man Utd made a special addition by stripping him of the Uruguayan and giving Ronaldo his old number.
Alejandro Garnacho
Despite only being a regular first-team fixture for a year, new Argentina international Alejandro Garnacho is the frontrunner to take the number seven.
The Manchester Evening News report that Man Utd are considering handing the famous shirt to the 18-year-old.
Hey, he’s already inherited the ‘Viva Ronaldo’ chant, Garnacho may as well take the Portuguese’s shirt as well, right?
No one
This is a decision Man Utd shouldn’t rush into.
Everything around the club comes under intense scrutiny. Every problem is a crisis. Every decision is magnified and analysed like a sloppy error on Monday Night Football.
There are red flags against the current candidates in the current squad – Antony and Sancho aren’t good enough, while Garnacho need to prove himself a little more and could do without the added pressure.
If Man Utd go and splash lavish money on a forward that’s a sure-fire bet to be a success, then maybe they can take the number seven. But for now, there’s no point handing it out just for the sake of it.
