It is no secret that Kylian Mbappe admires Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon immortalised the number 7 jersey at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, before moving to Saudi. The 39-year-old uses the number 7 shirt at Al-Nassr as well.
Kylian Mbappe too, uses kit number 7 at his current club Paris Saint Germain. After he officially communicated with the club that he no longer intends to extend his stay when his current contract runs out, speculations are rife about his next destination.
Multiple reports have claimed over the weeks that Mbappe is heading to Real Madrid -- the club he has been long linked with. While there have been no official confirmations on the switch, none are suggesting otherwise either.
The development has, meanwhile, triggered another discussion in football groups. If Mbappe lands in Santiago Bernabeu, which shirt will he receive? Is he going to get the number 7 shirt that was donned by the idol until a few years ago?
According to a media report, the 25-year-old Frenchman will not have access to Real Madrid kit no. 7 as things stand. The Los Blancos will not ask Vinicius Junior, who currently wears the shirt in the squad, to renounce it for the new signing.
Eden Hazard donned the no. 7 jersey after Ronaldo left for Juventus. But Hazard flopped and the jersey reached Vinicius Junior once the Belgian left the club. Vinicius Jr is no pushover as he has been among the most influential stars in the recent history of the La Liga side.
If not no.7, then no.9!
However, another iconic shirt awaits Mbappe in the Spanish capital. Real Madrid is likely to assign jersey number 9 to the 25-year-old World Cup winner, Goal.com said quoting AS. The no 9 shirt was used by former captain and club legend Karim Benzema, who is Mbappe's countryman. Benzema won the Ballon d'Or donning the number 9 shirt at Madrid before leaving to join Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo also donned the number 9 jersey at Real before he was allotted shirt number 7 post Raul's departure. Mbappe wears the number 10 jersey for France where numbers 7 and 9 are occupied by Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud respectively.
When Cristiano Ronaldo made his "homecoming" to Manchester United, the club had asked veteran forward Edinson Cavani to renounce the number 7 shirt. Seems like, a similar scene is unlikely to happen at Real Madrid.