Manchester United ‘dream’ shirt number fight on between three theoretical signings

Dani Olmo presents his own problems but when it comes to dream shirt numbers, Man Utd have a No.4 issue…

Has Ten Hag claimed Man Utd are better than Arsenal?
Bizarrely the back pages of the nation’s tabloids and the sports pull-outs of the nation’s broadsheets are concentrating on other sports as if other sports exist. Weird.

But some absolute bollocks has slipped through with The Sun claiming on their back page – next to some brum-brums, cricky and g*lf – that ‘ERIK TEN HAG claims only Pep Guardiola has made a bigger impact than him on English football over the past two years’.

Before any Arsenal fans rear their heads and point out that Mikel Arteta has engineered two title challenges in two years, we should point out – because The Sun absolutely don’t on their back page – that Ten Hag says no such thing.

What he does say, which is factually correct and thus not actually close to being a news story is this:

“This club didn’t win trophies, before I came, for six years. In two years, after Guardiola, we won the most trophies in English football.”

Do trophies equal ‘impact’? Do they f***. But The Sun wanted some football on their back page and, well, if you can make Erik ten Hag look a bit of a pr*ck, then everyone’s a winner.

Mind you, The Times are nearly as bad, trumpeting this nonsense:

Erik ten Hag: Only Pep Guardiola has done better than me in past two years

They do seem to have accidentally missed out ‘in terms of trophies’ on the end of that headline. How very careless.

Eze does it
The Daily Mirror herald Manchester City’s interest in Gianluigi Donnarumma on their back page; it’s a shame that Darren Lewis could not break his own transfer story in time.

The Mirror are proudly trumpeting an ‘EXCLUSIVE’ on Lewis’ claim that ‘Manchester City are considering a move for £68million Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze’.

Which will come as a particular surprise to Miguel Delaney of the Independent, who wrote in February that ‘Manchester City are currently seen as the likeliest destination for Eze’, and The Sun‘s Matt Hughes who wrote earlier this month that ‘Eberechi Eze has a £60million release clause, which both Tottenham and Manchester City are willing to trigger’.

Not to mention transfer expert Ben Jacobs, who said last week that “Manchester City like this player” but Tottenham “are ahead”.

So Eze to Manchester City: You heard it here fourth or fifth, maybe.

Pep talk
Talking of Manchester City, ‘Pep Guardiola has told Man United why they must complete £50m transfer over Barcelona’, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Bizarre behaviour.

Not from Guardiola of course, because he’s ‘told Man United’ nothing of the sodding sort.

What’s bizarre (or should we say desperate?) is the MEN’s attempt to conflate Guardiola’s comments on then-Dinamo Zagreb man Dani Olmo from 2019 with Manchester United’s reported pursuit of the Spaniard in 2024.

Though we are far, far from surprised.

Getting shirty
Obviously, the biggest barrier to Manchester United signing Dani Olmo is that his ‘dream shirt number’ of 7 is already being worn by Mason Mount, who is obviously ‘like a new signing’ this season.

So Mediawatch is giddy to find out how the Manchester Evening News covers that potential transfer after…

‘Which number Joshua Zirkzee could wear for Man United with ‘dream’ option available’

‘Joshua Zirkzee’s dream Manchester United shirt number could impact Rasmus Hojlund’ (accidentally published on Liverpool.com. Oops)’

‘Leny Yoro can grab dream Manchester United shirt number after £52m transfer’

‘Matthijs de Ligt could grab dream Manchester United shirt number after Leny Yoro decision’

‘Martin Zubimendi can grab dream Manchester United shirt number amid Matthijs De Ligt dilemma’

That ‘Leny Yoro decision’ was to claim the No. 15 shirt, described as ‘iconic’ by the MEN. Forget the 7, it’s all about the 15, which we cannot quite recall being described as ‘iconic’ when draped over the bodies of Marcel Sabizter or Sergio Reguilon.

So now De Ligt could claim his own ‘dream Manchester United shirt number’, which is helpfully No. 4, vacant since the return of loan player Sofyan Amrabat. A massive relief to all.

But then what of Zubimendi?

On the proviso he does pitch up at Old Trafford this summer, Zubimendi has the perfect shirt number ready and waiting for him. The midfielder, who is not only technically gifted but possesses defensive qualities, too, has held the No.4 shirt at Sociedad over the last two seasons – previously wearing No.3 in San Sebastián.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Which of these two so-far-theoretical Manchester United signings will be given their ‘dream’ No. 4 shirt?

Actually, make that which of these three so-far-theoretical Manchester United signings will be given their ‘dream’ No. 4 shirt? For this is the hot Express take: ‘Man Utd can hand Manuel Ugarte dream shirt number as ‘personal terms agreed’.’

And it’s only the bloody No. 4. Never mind that Ten Hag must somehow coax a top-four finish from a Manchester United team that finished eighth last season; he has to somehow find a way to keep three men happy who all want the No. 4 if/when they join the club.

MORE ON MAN UTD TRANSFERS FROM F365:
👉 Leny Yoro is the first genuine Man Utd transfer coup we can remember
👉 Simons, Ugarte, Olmo among Man United signings based on clear current transfer trend
👉 Most exciting Premier League signing XI: £35m PSR surprise joins Man Utd new boy