Cody Gakpo will find himself taking a new shirt number if and when he completes his move to Liverpool, with many of the obvious choices already taken.
The Dutch international frontman was in high demand over the summer, and the likes of Manchester United were expected to renew their interest in January. Instead, though, Jurgen Klopp's side have stolen a march and struck an agreement over a deal worth up to £45m.
"The 23-year-old attacker will immediately leave for England where he will undergo the necessary formalities to complete the transfer," a PSV statement read. While the transfer fee has not been made public, the Dutch club's general manager Marcel Brands confirmed it was a record for the Eredivisie outfit.
Gakpo took the number 11 shirt at PSV at the start of the 2021-22 season, and has retained it for the current campaign. With Mohamed Salah wearing 11 at Anfield, though, the new arrival will need to choose a different number.
Similarly, the number eight he wore for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup is taken. However, with Naby Keita out of contract at the end of the season, we could have a scenario where Gakpo takes a different number for the remainder of the current campaign before switching to Keita's number in the summer.
In the meantime, though, there is no obvious choice when it comes to his recent club numbers. He has also worn 19 and 20 for PSV's first team, but one would not expect Harvey Elliott or Diogo Jota to be in any hurry to surrender their numbers.
What number will Cody Gakpo wear at Liverpool? Have your say in the comments section
One number which could be available to the new arrival is the 10 previously worn by Sadio Mane. No current player has inherited the shirt since the Senegal star moved to Bayern Munich over the summer.
The only other free numbers below 20 are 12, 16 and 18. with the latter last worn by Takumi Minamino. None of these have been worn by Gakpo at senior club level, but there is an opportunity to return to the first number he wore in Eindhoven.
When the forward made his senior debut for PSV, back in the 2017-18 season, he did so wearing the number 52 shirt. Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has stuck with the number 66 he wore for his senior bow, and there is an opportunity for Gakpo to make a similarly nostalgic choice.
The number 52 currently belongs to young right-back Isaac Mabaya, but the teenager has yet to wear it in a senior game. Were Gakpo to put in the request, he may well be successful.
