Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag offered the number seven to Mason Mount during their discussions prior to his transfer.
Mount has become the 10th United player to receive the '7' since players were assigned fixed squad numbers in 1993.
Alejandro Garnacho had been under consideration to claim the number that Cristiano Ronaldo vacated in November and last week supporters were unable to purchase a new home shirt with 'Garnacho 49' printed on it.
However, new £60million signing Mount will wear the most mythical number in United history that is also synonymous with George Best and Bryan Robson.
Sources say Ten Hag's decision to offer the number to Mount sent a strong signal of how much United valued the England international and earmarked the pivotal role he is set to have in the team.
Also read: Beating Liverpool and Arsenal plus Ten Hag's role - why United signed Mason Mount
Mount completed his transfer to United from Chelsea on Wednesday and he has signed a five-year contract with the option of an additional year.
Cantona effectively inherited the '7' from Robson in his first full season at United in 1993-94. When he retired from football suddenly in 1997, David Beckham claimed the number.
Beckham joined Real Madrid in 2003 and United signed Ronaldo the same summer. Ronaldo donned the number in two separate spells and the '7' became cursed after his world-record departure for Madrid in 2009.
Michael Owen was a controversial recipient upon his arrival in 2009 and the former Liverpool striker scored a meagre 17 goals in three injury-laden seasons.
Antonio Valencia received the '7' in 2012 but performed so abjectly he requested to revert back to his old squad number of 25 after one season.
Angel di Maria, Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez were three expensive flops as United's No.7 while Edinson Cavani, a deadline day arrival in October 2020, was an unreliable squad member.
United received special dispensation to reallocate the '7' from Cavani to Ronaldo after the 2021-22 season had started. Ronaldo's second spell with United ended acrimoniously when he staged an unauthorised interview and said he had "no respect" for Ten Hag.
