Ederson might get a special Man Utd squad number that only eight players have worn before.
Manchester United might give midfielder Ederson a very rare squad number after agreeing to sign him from Atalanta this summer. According to David Ornstein from The Athletic, the deal is worth an initial £35 million, with an extra £4 million possible in add-ons, for the 26-year-old Brazilian.
Ederson is said to have signed a four-year contract, with the option to extend it for another year. He is expected to be officially introduced by United in early July, once he completes his medical check-up. The transfer window opens on Monday, June 15, and since Ederson wasn’t picked for Brazil’s World Cup squad, finalizing the deal should be smooth.
This will be Michael Carrick’s first signing as the permanent United manager. One of the first things to sort out when Ederson arrives will be picking his squad number. At Atalanta, he wears number 13, but this number isn’t common in English football and is usually taken by goalkeepers at United. Right now, defender and winger Patrick Dorgu has the number 13, a number he’s kept since joining the club last January.
Because of this, Ederson will probably have to choose a different number, possibly the number he started his career with. The No. 40 shirt at United is rare and has mainly been worn by academy players or reserve goalkeepers like Daniel Nardiello, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, and Radek Vitek.
Alternatively, he might pick the No. 14, which is currently free. Other open numbers include 17, 20, 21, and 22. The No. 17 was worn by club legend Andrew Cole in his first year and then by Henrik Larsson and Nani. Number 20 has a history with stars like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Robin van Persie, and was recently worn by Diogo Dalot before he switched to number 2 last season.