NO.85, WILL YOU COME IN PLEASE?
EVEN by the standards of modern-day squads, two genuinely bonkers shirt number decisions were made at Swansea on transfer deadline day.
The first came as the Swans announced the signing of Renato Sanches (right) on loan from Bayern Munich.
To secure one of the finest young players in Europe, the Welsh club were probably prepared to offer the Portugal star anything he wanted.
And what he wanted was the No.85 shirt.
Yes, EIGHTY-FIVE – the number he wore at Benfica.
Sadly for Sanches, the Premier League made him change his number from 85 to 35, citing a rule that “squad numbers must be consecutive and close to the current highest number”.
Sadly, the Premier League made no such intervention over the number Wilfired Bony chose. After completing his return from Manchester City, the Ivorian striker will wear the No.2 shirt.
A centre-forward? Wearing No.2?
Heaven help us… DECEMBER 2012 (when this photo was taken): five exciting British talents who represented the bright future of Arsenal FC, posing with boss Arsene Wenger.
September 2017: a defender on loan at Birmingham, a midfielder who gets near constant abuse from his own fans, a guy who hasn’t played for Arsenal in 15 months, a West Brom left-back and a Liverpool player.
How times change…
SPEAKING of Alex Oxlade-chamberlain, Gary Neville took to Twitter to offer an interesting first thought when it became clear The Ox was set to join Liverpool for £40million.
Namely, “perhaps that explains his abysmal performance in Arsenal’s 4-0 walloping at Anfield”.