Jesus, Sanchez or Mbappe? Who will be City’s new No.9?
FAREWELL then, Nolito.
The Spanish international has left City after just one season. His departure leaves open the No.9 shirt, an iconic number that has been short of a fitting wearer for more than a decade at City.
Emile Mpenza, Valeri Bojinov, Emmanuel Adebayor and Alvaro Negredo have all worn the shirt in the past ten years and none have kept it for more than two seasons.
M.E.N Sport takes a look at a few options available to become the new No.9. GABRIEL Jesus looks set to wear his No.33 but asking him to change his number would give him a decision to consider.
The Brazilian took residence of the No.9 shirt for his country before his first game for City and was instantly treated as a senior player by Guardiola.
With Sergio Aguero at No.10, the two in tandem could tear up the league in the way Negredo briefly threatened to do.
As obvious as this all may seem, Jesus would have good reason to keep his shirt – he has worn 33 since breaking through at Palmeiras, with the number signifying the age that Jesus was when he died. Kylian Mbappe: fancy the No.9 shirt to sweeten your move to the Etihad?
Shirt numbers will play an incredibly minor role in any personal negotiations but it must encourage any potential new signing to be offered the jersey as competition for forward places will be so tough.
Handing it to a major signing should avoid the need for City to make a decision again in the near future. CITY have kicked off three of the last ten seasons without a No.9 even in the squad.
They also have a manager who brought false nines into the spotlight during his time at Barcelona and used Kevin de Bruyne up front in the Nou Camp last year instead of Aguero.
If there are no obvious candidates for the position, there is no point filling the number just for the sake of it. THIS would be unlikely, yet shouldn’t be ruled out completely. Guardiola lamented the lack of a big man up front a couple of times last season as his smaller strikers could not be used as an outlet to power quickly through lines.
Swansea’s Fernando Llorente has been linked with the Blues and that type of player would add to the manager’s options.