Kylian Mbappe attended the Monaco Grand Prix last month (Image: Getty)
Kylian Mbappe will sport a new shirt number for one season at Real Madrid before switching to his preferred choice, according to reports. The 25-year-old was officially proclaimed as a new Los Blancos player on Monday, with the announcement crashing the Spanish giants’ website.
Mbappe ran down his contract at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Real on a free transfer, which includes an eye-watering £85million signing-on bonus and an annual salary of just under £13m.
But the flying forward may have to wait for his famous white shirt to show either one of his favoured squad numbers. Mbappe has primarily worn No. 7 during his time at PSG and No. 10 on international duty with France.
Real’s Champions League final goalscorer Vinicius Jr wears seven at the Bernabeu, and the chances of convincing the Brazilian to vacate the jersey for Mbappe are slim. Modric is an equally towering figure in Carlo Ancelotti’s dressing room, and he wears No. 10.
Mbappe may have been confident that the 10 jersey was his for the taking, with Modric set to turn 39 years old at the start of next season. But the Croatian agreed to extend his stay in the Spanish capital by another 12 months after the Champions League final.
According to Le Parisien, Mbappe will wear No. 9 at Real Madrid until either seven or 10 become available. Nine has been vacant since Karim Benzema headed to Saudi Arabia last summer.
Kylian Mbappe may take Luka Modric’s No. 10 jersey in 2025/26 (Image: Getty)
Mbappe may not have long to wait before the 10 jersey comes his way as Modric ventures further into the twilight of his career. Shirt number inconvenience doesn’t seem to have dampened the Frenchman’s spirits as he posted an emotional welcome message on social media once his move became official.
“A dream come true,” he wrote alongside pictures of himself as a youngster decked out head to toe in Real Madrid kit. “So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams, Real Madrid.
“Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support. ¡Hala Madrid!”
Mbappe is currently on France duty preparing for Euro 2024. Les Bleus are preparing for the tournament with a pair of warm-up friendlies against Luxembourg on Wednesday and Canada on Sunday.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1906895/kylian-mbappe-real-madrid-shirt-number