Luis Diaz may have to wait to get his hands on his dream shirt number at Liverpool as he edges closer to completing a marquee transfer to Anfield.
The winger, 25, is on the way to the Premier League after Porto accepted the Reds' £50million bid early on Friday morning.
Diaz will become the most-expensive forward in Liverpool's history and rank fourth on the club's record arrivals list, after £75million defender Virgil van Dijk, £66million goalkeeper Alisson and £53million midfielder Naby Keita.
A big-money signing is often met with the new arrival being handed their ideal squad number, especially given the financial importance of shirt sales.
But Diaz, who wears seven on his back for Porto, will find this number occupied by James Milner when he touches down on Merseyside.
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Milner, 36, has occupied Liverpool's coveted No. 7 jersey since he arrived from Manchester City on a free transfer in 2015.
The Reds vice-captain has proved to be a loyal and versatile servant to Jurgen Klopp and he has continued the legacy of a shirt once worn by the likes of Luis Suarez, Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish.
However, Milner is out of contract this summer and he may not be offered the chance to extend given his age and the fact he has only started 10 games in all competitions this campaign.
This could pave the way for Diaz to take the No. 7 shirt ahead of next season, although he would need to take a stopgap number in the meantime.
He previously wore number 23 for Atletico Junior in his native Colombia before switching to the number 10 for his final season with the club.
Sadio Mane occupies the No. 10 strip in the Anfield dressing room, but No. 23 is available following Xherdan Shaqiri's departure for Lyon last summer.
This may prove to be the obvious choice for Diaz to take as he waits for the number seven to become available, especially as the No. 14 shirt he wears for Colombia is worn by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
The player was handed seven at Porto after completing a £6.5million transfer to Estadio do Dragao from Atletico Junior in July 2019.
He has scored 41 goals and contributed 19 assists in 125 appearances for the Portuguese giants, winning the double of the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal in the 2019/20 season.
Diaz has also shone on the international stage for Colombia, sharing the Golden Boot with Lionel Messi at last summer's Copa America and earning a spot in the Team of the Tournament.
