OLMO HAS SEVERAL OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM
Will he inherit the '10'? The numbers that Dani Olmo is debating between on his arrival at Barça
Dani Olmo is close to wearing the FC Barcelona shirt again. The player trained at La Masia will leave RB Leipzig and return to Spain, so everyone is wondering what number he will wear on his long-awaited return
The new Euro 2024 champion is ready to wear the Blaugrana shirt and will have to choose the number he will wear during his time with the Catalan team. The man from Terrassa has worn many numbers throughout his career, although many of them are already in use by players in the current squad. Let's review the options that Dani Olmo has on his return to Barcelona.
His favourite numbers are chosen
As for the options that are completely ruled out, there is number 7, which the Spaniard wore in his last three seasons at RB Leipzig and also during his time at Dinamo Zagreb. This number is worn by Ferran Torres, so he will not be able to choose it. With the national team, Olmo has worn many different numbers, although the 19 and 21 stand out. The 19 will be Lamine Yamal's and the 21 is Frenkie de Jong's.
If we talk about known numbers for the midfielder, the 12 and 25 are free. He wore the number 12 with 'La Roja' in his first call-ups with the senior team in the 2017/19 and 2019/20 seasons. He wore the number 25 in his first three years at Leipzig, before changing it to 7. The 25, on the other hand, is a tricky thing, because LaLiga regulations say that first-team goalkeepers must wear the number 1, 13 or 25. This year there is no third goalkeeper on the roster at Barcelona and the Spaniard could choose that number, if a third goalkeeper with a first-team roster does not sign up.
Other available numbers
After the loans of Joao Félix and Joao Cancelo ended, the 2 and 14 are free again. Cancelo could return to Barça and continue wearing the 2. In the case of Félix, it will be difficult for him to return to Barcelona, so the 14 could be an option for Olmo, although it is not very viable. Marcos Alonso's number 17, Orioul Romeu's number 18 and Sergi Roberto's number 20 are also free at the moment. Number 24 is another option that no player used last season.
Other alternatives that the Spaniard would have is to wait to see what will happen with the players who still do not have a defined future at the club and therefore, neither their numbers. These are Clement Lenglet, Eric Garcia, Julián Araujo, Mikayil Faye, Alex Valle, Pablo Torre and Marc Casadó. At least one will say goodbye to the team, so there would be more options available.
Will Olmo wear the '10' at Barça?
Finally, the question that everyone is asking is whether Olmo will be the heir to the '10' at Barça. This number passed from Lionel Messi to Ansu Fati, who left him orphaned after his loan to England. Ansu's future is uncertain, so the former Leipzig player could take on this historic number, which he already wore at Euro 2024 with Spain. Will he have the honour? We'll find out soon.
