Real Madrid have been desperate to sign Álvaro Carreras from Benfica this summer and a transfer agreement has now been reached,
Los Blancos were eager to add the left back to their roster before the FIFA Club World Cup but were unable to finalize a deal in time. They have been forced to wait to get their man but have now negotiated a €50 million ($58.5 million) fee with Benfica for the Spaniard.
Carreras follows in the footsteps of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold as Madrid revamp their defense, with the 23-year-old set to compete with clubmates Ferland Mendy and Fran García at the Santiago Bernabéu.
But what number will the defender wear upon his move to the Spanish capital?
Álvaro Carreras Shirt Number History
Carreras is one that got away for Manchester United. The left back rose through the English club’s youth academy but never made a senior appearance for the Red Devils despite being registered to the No.74 and No.42 at Old Trafford.
He spent the 2022–23 season on loan at Preston North End and a productive temporary spell at Deepdale saw him wear the No.2. He spent half of the following campaign with Granada CF, where he donned the No.33 before being sent on loan to Benfica for the rest of the campaign.
Carreras wore the No.3 during his loan stint with the Portuguese giants and took on the number full-time when he joined them permanently last summer.
Real Madrid Available Shirt Numbers
With La Liga ruling that any first-team players cannot wear shirt numbers above 25, the options for Carreras are slim. Alexander-Arnold has taken the No.12 and Huijsen the No.24 to further restrict his choices.
At present, there are four numbers Carreras can take. One of those is the No.18, most recently worn by Jesús Vallejo, and the No.25 is also available after Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan expired at the end of the 2023–24 season. The latter is generally a popular choice for goalkeepers.
Of course, Carreras could take the No.10 recently vacated by Madrid legend Luka Modrić, but that seems extremely unlikely given he’s a left back. More probable is the No.17 jersey, which is now free after Lucas Vázquez’s departure.
Of course, should any more first-team players leave between now and the beginning of the campaign, Carreras can inherit their number.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alvaro Carreras’s Potential Shirt Numbers at Real Madrid.
