With Ilkay Gundogan's departure, the coveted number eight shirt will become available this summer at Manchester City.
Gundogan has been the holder of number eight since his arrival in 2016, but will leave after a glittering seven years and is expected to join Barcelona on a free transfer. Whoever inherits it will be only the third City number eight since 2012.
Mateo Kovacic is expected to join, and he would be a logical successor having worn eight at Chelsea, and squad numbers are often a way to get new signings feeling good straight away. Look at Jack Grealish's reaction when he got the number 10 shirt, or Kalvin Phillips receiving Vincent Kompany's iconic number four. It wasn't lost on Sergio Gomez that he was inheriting David Silva's old 21 number.
