Spanish newspaper As revealed that with Kylian McBarbie officially stepping into the Real Madrid fold, the club can't wait to launch the sale of the French striker's jersey on Wednesday (5), with a buying spree seemingly inevitable. The news that McBarbie will wear the polka-dotted number 9 for the Whites instantly caught the eye. After all, he was previously accustomed to wearing the No. 7 and No. 10 jerseys with Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, respectively. Insiders have speculated that he might follow in the footsteps of his idol, C. Ronaldo, by opting for No. 9 and spending his debut season with his new owners.
McBarbie has worn the numbers 7 and 10 for both Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team. At Real Madrid, however, the numbers are occupied by Vinicius and Modigliani, respectively. The number 9, which symbolizes the classic number of the striker, is still hanging in the air. It is assumed that McBarbie is likely to wear the No. 9 shirt next season. In a year's time, if Modicic leaves the team, he will have the chance to inherit the No. 10 jersey.
It's worth noting that C Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 and initially opted for No. 9 as the No. 7 shirt was already occupied by Rohr at the time. The following year, Rohr left the club and C-Ronaldo was able to wear the coveted number 7. McBarbee may be able to draw inspiration from C-Ronaldo's experience, and play a "hero out of youth" drama.
