Will Florian Wirtz wear ‘iconic’, ‘dream’ or ‘unusual’ Liverpool shirt number?

Florian Wirtz was going to get the ‘perfect gift’ of an ‘iconic’ Liverpool shirt and then his ‘dream’ was ‘blocked’. It’s a journey.

Getting Wirtz and Wirtz
It looks very much like Florian Wirtz is joining Liverpool; it’s a pretty big deal.

But do you know what is an even bigger deal: What shirt number he will wear. And my word, we have been on a journey with that one.

On May 23, when it became clear that Wirtz might actually join Liverpool, the Liverpool Echo told us:

Florian Wirtz could grab iconic Liverpool shirt number if he completes blockbuster transfer

The No. 7 worn by Ian Callaghan, Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish? But surely that’s currently the property of Luis Diaz?

The No. 8 made famous by Steven Gerrard? He will have to rip it off the back of Dominik Szoboszlai.

The No. 9 of Ian Rush? The 10 of John Barnes and Sadio Mane?

Nope. The No. 23 of Jamie Carragher. This is described by the Echo as the ‘perfect gift’. To be fair, it’s better than socks.

By May 26, the Liverpool Echo were back with another breathless shirt update. Odd as we had already been told that the ‘perfect gift’ was available.

Florian Wirtz could be denied dream Liverpool shirt number but second option available

The No. 23 is being ripped off his back?

Nope, his ‘dream shirt number’ is now deemed to be the No. 10, and he will be ‘denied’ by there being no No. 10 available. In other news, Mediawatch has been denied its dream lunch.

So is the ‘perfect gift’ of the No. 23 shirt the ‘second option’?

No…it turns out that there is a third option of the No. 27, the ‘same number he was given when he first broke into Leverkusen’s senior team before switching to 10 two seasons ago’.

Three days is a long time in shirt number chat, and Sport Central Audience Writer (we can only dream) Mark Wakefield has already forgotten that he had thrown all his chips onto the ‘iconic’ No. 23 just three days before.

Meanwhile, SPORTbible are upping the ante and claiming:

Florian Wirtz ‘blocked’ from taking dream shirt number at Liverpool but there’s a major catch

They are quoting absolutely nobody with those quote marks that make it sound like some f***er – presumably Alexis Mac Allister – has stood in his path. In other news, Mediawatch has been ‘blocked’ from its dream lunch.

As for the ‘major catch’…it’s less a ‘major catch’ and more of a ‘major attempt to give some credence to some shite about Alexis Mac Allister joining Real Madrid‘.

By now, the idea that Wirtz will choose the No. 27 has basically become fact, despite him not yet signing for Liverpool and making no known statement that he is particularly attached to the number.

Take it away GiveMeSport:

Florian Wirtz Set For Unusual Liverpool Shirt Number That’s Only Been Worn by 7 Players

Mediawatch is now unhealthily invested in Wirtz picking the No. 15 just because, well, who gives a shiny shite about shirt numbers?

I dreamed a dream shirt number
In other dream shirt number news…

‘Arsenal stars blocking Viktor Gyokeres from dream shirt numbers as £60m ace has two options’ – football.london.

He’s got loads of options, guys; numbers literally go on forever.

Green light spells f*** all
One man very likely to get his dream shirt number this summer is Matheus Cunha at Manchester United, who will sell Marcus Rashford for a) the money and b) the No. 10 shirt.

But the Manchester Evening News want you to think that the club has agreed not one but two transfers. Two is more than one. Maths innit.

Manchester United coach gives green light for two transfers in summer window

But the ‘Manchester United coach’ in question is not Ruben Amorim. It’s not even an actual Manchester United coach, but Phil Jones, who ‘has spent two seasons coaching in United’s academy while studying for his coaching badges’, on a voluntary basis. It’s work experience for coaches.

So Jones is not in a position to ‘green light’ anything, though he is in a position to take money from betting companies and repeatedly say it ‘depends’ an awful lot. Same same.

‘Not really how it works’ of the day
‘Bruno Fernandes given 72 HOURS to decide whether to quit Man United for £200m Al-Hilal deal – as Saudi side give star ‘take it or leave it offer’ – MailOnline.

Not really how it works. He cannot ‘quit’ Manchester United if Manchester United do not want to sell. It’s called a contract.