Alejandro Garnacho would have loved the symmetry. As someone who idolises Cristiano Ronaldo, becoming the first teenager to wear Manchester United's iconic No. 7 shirt since Ronaldo in 2003 would have been perfect.
Alas, the 19-year-old will have to be patient if he is to ever inherit the number most synonymous with thrilling wingers at Old Trafford. Instead, the shirt has gone back to a time when it was worn by a midfielder, with Erik ten Hag offering it to Mason Mount during talks over his arrival at the club.
Mount is following in the footsteps of Bryan Robson as a central midfielder to wear seven, so it's not as if it is solely the possession of edge-of-your-seat attackers, but there was undoubtedly a desire amongst supporters for Garnacho to be given the number this summer.
After signing a five-year deal in April, United considered Garnacho as a contender for the No. 7 shirt that has been vacant since Ronaldo's acrimonious departure in November. That looked even more likely when United's new shirt went on sale and Garnacho and the No. 49 were unavailable in the list of options for printing.
ALSO READ: John Murtough holding talks over Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana
But rather than giving the teenager the shirt that is arguably most prized by that type of player at Old Trafford, it has been given to Mount, a midfielder of industry and quality, but not someone who can compare to Garnacho in the entertainment stakes.
Perhaps Garnacho will still get a new number, although now that it isn't going to be No. 7 there is probably little need to change. The 49 came about due to his rapid rise to the first-team squad last season, but it hardly signals a place low down in the pecking order.
He's not yet at the top of that order, however, and it should go down as a sensible call to keep the promising winger away from a shirt that is not a marketing dream but also comes with pressure and expectation. When the Premier League season gets underway next month it is almost certain Garnacho will be on the bench, a substitute ready to make an impact but not a regular starter just yet.
In his favoured left-wing role, he has competition from Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, and while he is quickly becoming a better game-changing option than Sancho, he's unlikely to find a way past Rashford just yet.
The optics of having a No. 7 on the bench aren't great for United and then there is the message it would send Garnacho. The club have worked hard to keep his feet on the ground and it's not always been a simple task. As with any teenage sensation, there is confidence and a cocksure approach from the winger. Giving him one of the most famous shirts in world football might not have been a wise decision.
When Garnacho was called up by Argentina in April 2022 the club worked hard to make sure the elevation didn't go to his head. They want their best young players to stay humble and hungry.
Garnacho has enough self-belief without being given that No. 7 shirt. As good as he is, Ronaldo was probably better at 19, more ready for a first-team role than the Spain-born wide man.
With another season of development he might well get there, but for now United are handing his progress well.
