Real Madrid allegedly decide on Kylian Mbappe shirt number
- Kylian Mbappe likely to sign for Real Madrid on free transfer next summer
- PSG contract expires at end of the season
- Real Madrid said to have picked out a shirt number for him already
By Sean Walsh
Real Madrid are said to have decided on the shirt number that Kylian Mbappe will wear if he joins the club next summer.
Mbappe's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season and 90min understands he is unwilling to sign a new one, opening the door to a long-awaited move to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Though nothing is official yet and Real Madrid cannot enter negotiations with Mbappe over a summer deal until January, reports from across Europe this week have suggested they are gearing up for his arrival.
Spanish outlet El Chiringuito have even gone so far as to claim that Los Blancos have picked out Mbappe's shirt number ahead of his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu, believing he will be assigned the number 10.
That number currently belongs to club legend Luka Modric, whose own contract expires in 2024. The Croatian midfielder has voiced his frustrations at his lack of game time so far this season and has been linked with a move to Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. If El Chiringuito's reporting is accurate, then it appears that Modric's time at Real Madrid is indeed nearing an end.
Mbappe's currently wears the number 7 shirt at PSG, but this is occupied at Real Madrid by Vinicius Junior, who recently signed a long-term contract extension. For the France national team, 10 is Mbappe's number of choice.
Earlier in his career, Mbappe wore the number 29 during his breakthrough at Monaco and on first arrival at PSG, but La Liga prevents senior players from taking shirts higher than 25.
Former stars to have worn the number 10 for Real Madrid include James Rodriguez, Mesut Ozil, Wesley Sneijder, Luis Figo, Michael Laudrup and Ferenc Puskas.
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