Manchester United fans have spotted Alejandro Garnacho wearing a bizarre new squad number during a photoshoot to promote their new home kit.
The 20-year-old wonderkid wears the No 17 shirt for both the Red Devils and Argentina.
Garnacho took centre stage to promote United’s 2024-25 home kit, alongside fellow youngsters Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo.
The trip replicated their celebration from when Garnacho scored at Old Trafford against West Ham in February, where they sat next to each other on the advertising hoardings.
United posted a short video of the photoshoot on social media, and fans were quick to point out that Garnacho was wearing the No 6 on his shorts.
Manchester United fans have spotted Alejandro Garnacho with the number six on his shorts during a photoshoot to promote their new home kit for the 2024-25 season
Rasmus Hojlund, Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo replicated their celebration against West Ham in February for the promotion of the new kit
Fans have been left in confusion at Garnacho’s squad number on his shorts, which is usually reserved for defenders or defensive midfielders
The No 6 shirt is typically used for defenders or defensive midfielders, and is currently taken by Lisandro Martinez at Old Trafford.
So fans were left surprised to see Garnacho with the squad number, even if it was just for the photoshoot with no confirmation of any change to his current No 17 shirt.
One fan put a laughing emoji while asking: ‘What is that Garnacho number.’
Another fan raised the same question asking why he has the No 6 on his shorts, while another supporter jokingly suggested that might be his new squad number.
United’s official website still lists Garnacho as the No 17, though there have been calls in the past for him to get the No 7 – currently taken by Mason Mount.
It is worth noting that clubs often use placeholders – not a player’s official number – when producing kit videos.
But if Garnacho was to take the No 6, it wouldn’t be the only bizarre shirt number choice in Premier League history.
William Gallas was handed the number 10 shirt upon arrival at Arsenal in 2006 – although Arsene Wenger explained this by stating he didn’t want an attacker to have the pressure of wearing the number given that Dennis Bergkamp had just left.
It would seem unlikely for Garnacho to replace Lisandro Martinez as United’s No 6
Alejandro Garnacho currently wears the No 17 shirt at Manchester United
One past strange squad number choice saw William Gallas take on the No 10 at Arsenal
Steve Sidwell (left) and Khalid Boulahrouz both briefly had the No 9 shirt at Chelsea
Chelsea once gave their number nine shirt to Khalid Boulahrouz – a defender – and Steve Sidwell, while striker Wilfried Bony took the number two shirt at Swansea.
Lower down the football pyramid, Dutch legend Edgar Davids once took on the No 1 shirt at Barnet.
Though the weirdest kit number belongs to Ivan Zamorano, who took on a shirt which read ‘1+8’ after his No 9 shirt was taken by Brazil legend Ronaldo at Inter Milan.