It is perhaps the most iconic number in soccer, worn by some of the greatest stars in the history of the sport. The number 10 jersey has been left vacant at Real Madrid, and the club is looking for a new owner, but not just anyone will do. This number is reserved for players destined to make history.
Luka Modric leaves the number 10 jersey vacant
The departure of Luka Modric leaves a huge void at Real Madrid. The white legend has left as the player with the most titles in the club’s history, with no less than six Champions League titles on his resume. And not only has he written pages that are now part of the club’s history, he also leaves the number 10 jersey vacant, and leaves it at the very top.
The Croatian player did not wear this number until the 2017-18 season. Before that, Lukita wore the number 19, until he earned the privilege of wearing one of the numbers reserved for the biggest stars, and he certainly knew how to wear it. His record will go down in history.
Who will wear the number 10 at Real Madrid?
Many assumed that Mbappé would wear the number 10 on his back, but there are quite a few doubts within the club. He hasn’t asked for it, he has the credentials to wear it, he does so with the French national team, but for now, it seems that the number 9 suits him like a glove. With it, he became the top scorer in Europe last season, and it was the same number he wore at Monaco in his last season there. However, at PSG he wore the number 7, which is reserved for Vinicius at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid are still considering whether to offer it to him. They know it would be a publicity coup that would bring in huge profits, but there are doubts, and there is another first-team player who is in the running for such an important number.
The stripes Güler needs
Yes, Arda Güler could be the one to inherit Luka Modric‘s 10. The image of the Croatian footballer after the match against PSG in the Club World Cup, his last minutes in white, was iconic. He approached the Turkish player and handed him his shirt, a gesture that many considered to be the passing of the baton, the transfer of a shirt number so that he could begin to write his true story with Real Madrid.
Seen at the Club World Cup, everything indicates that Güler is set to become an important player at Real Madrid. He has been one of Xabi Alonso‘s bets, who did not include him in the starting eleven for the championship, but who turned to him at half-time in this first game, and since then he has not failed to start, guiding the bench and proving that yes, he is ready to take up the baton and carry the team on his shoulders.
What seems more than evident is that the number will not be left vacant. As the squad stands, with the promotion of Asencio and Gonzalo and the arrival of Mastantuono in August, there are hardly any numbers left in the squad, and it would be surprising if any of the aforementioned players were to be given such a privilege upon their arrival in the first team. So everything points to Güler or Mbappé being the ones to wear one of the most historic numbers in football. The number 10, a number that represents a forgotten position in today’s football, but one that still retains its authenticity and essence, and points to the great players of the sport.