Real Madrid is immersed in a summer of changes, ranging from the arrival of a new coach, Xabi Alonso, to new signings, high-profile departures on the horizon, and a jersey number shuffle that has all Madrid fans on tenterhooks. The first to change numbers was Mbappé, who inherits the number 10 from Luka Modric and has sparked a frenzy of sales. Asencio has kept the number 17 as he is now a full member of the first team, and the dilemma now lies with the number 9 left vacant by the French striker. It seems that the main candidate is Endrick, but the truth is that nothing has been made official yet and there could still be a surprise.
Mbappé keeps the number 10
The departure of Luka Modric after the Club World Cup left the number 10 shirt vacant at Real Madrid. At first, everything pointed to Arda Güler, as the Croatian gave him the last shirt he played in and Xabi Alonso has decided that he will play as number 10, as the architect in midfield.
However, Real Madrid had other plans and offered the number to Kylian Mbappé, who did not hesitate to accept it and confirm it on social media. “10,” he posted on X. Short, but clear. The Frenchman already wears that number for the national team and did not hesitate to accept.
The white team made a marketing and business gamble that has paid off perfectly. Since Wednesday, when the jersey with the Frenchman’s new number went on sale, the craze for Mbappé’s new skin has been total, with a high number of sales of a jersey that ranges between $125 and $175.
Candidates for the number 9 shirt, with Endrick as the favorite
With the decision that Kylian Mbappé will wear the number 10 on his shirt, the number 9 is now available and the battle to get it has begun.
Everything points to Endrick inheriting the number, but for now, no one appears with the number 9 on the club’s website, and there are other candidates on the list. As we said, the Brazilian is the most likely option because he has been with the team longer and is a pure striker. However, he is injured and has seen little playing time. For now, he continues to appear on the website with the number 16 on his back.
Gonzalo’s rise to the first team has been meteoric and, although there are still doubts about his future, everything points to him staying in the first team, at least for the time being, given the Brazilian’s injury. The player has generated a lot of excitement as the top scorer in the Club World Cup and could be a coup and also generate shirt sales, but it seems unlikely that in his first year with continuity in the first team he will be given the responsibility of wearing the number 9 shirt. In the United States, he wore the number 30.
The other attackers in the squad are Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Brahim. It seems unlikely that Vinicius will change from number 7, an important number at Real Madrid worn by legendary players such as Cristiano and Raúl González. Rodrygo, for his part, wears number 11, which is also likely to become available as the Brazilian is looking to leave and is not in Xabi’s plans, while Brahim wears number 21 and looks set to stay there.
What if the number 9 goes to Haaland?
The other option would be to leave the number free and see how the attack works. It has been said for months that the club was looking for a striker, and Florentino’s dream of forming an attack with Mbappé and Haaland remains intact.
There has been speculation about the future of Vinicius and that the City player would be chosen to take his place, but the truth is that although there are strong disagreements over his renewal, the Brazilian is not going to leave the Santiago Bernabéu. The priority is for the Brazilian to stay at the club, but not at any price, so if the tension continues to rise, this could open the door to the much-desired Haaland.