Diego Llorente has said his goodbyes to Real Sociedad, a fee has been agreed with Leeds United and there is a verbal agreement in place on personal terms.
The Spain international is coming to Elland Road and should be confirmed before the week is out, but he will have another big decision to make soon after signing his contract.
What squad number does he want? Some fans will be clamouring to get the newest player’s name on their United shirt.
Llorente currently wears three at Sociedad, but that is already owned by Barry Douglas at Elland Road.
Here are the highest-profile numbers he could go with.
No.8
Would be a highly unconventional choice for a defender. The best-known example would be Marcel Desailly, wouldn’t it?
Desailly lifted the World Cup in 1998 wearing eight for France, but it may not be Llorente’s style.
Briefly occupied by Ronaldo Vieira in the 2018 summer before his Sampdoria exit.
Billy Sharp aside, custodians of the eight have largely been battling central midfielders in recent years. Rodolph Austin, Michael Brown and Neil Kilkenny all looked after it until 2014.
Vurnon Anita held it in 2017/18 and once he was frozen out under Marcelo Bielsa it was free for Vieira to take.
No.12
Laurens De Bock had a difficult time in the second half of 17/18 with the 12 and after his loan moves back to Belgium it’s up for grabs once more.
Gaetano Berardi stands out as the most illustrious owner in recent times, though even he only kept it for one season.
Goalkeepers have dominated the 12 over the past 10 years with Marco Silvestri, Jamie Ashdown, Shane Higgs, Paul Rachubka and David Lucas owners.
No.14
Eddie Nketiah wore this number with such distinction, when he got onto the pitch, during his half-season loan last term.
Samuel Saiz held it before Nketiah in the 2018/19 season. Saiz vacated it after his loan and then permanent exit to Spain.
Eunan O’Kane wore it across the two seasons before this. Perhaps the shirt best remembered for the Jonny Howson years.
No.16
A shirt with very little love across recent campaigns. Yosuke Ideguchi briefly owned it in the 2018 summer before his loan switch to Germany.
Before the Japan international there was Matt Grimes, Toumani Diagouraga, Nicky Ajose and Danny Pugh.
Perhaps Llorente could turn this shirt’s fortunes around.
No.18
If Llorente was going to get any steers from the staff at the club on which number may be most newsworthy, this would be the choice.
The number centre-back Pontus Jansson wore with such distinction across his years at Elland Road before departing for Brentford last year.
Before Jansson, Mustapha Carayol had a brief dalliance with the 18 during a loan spell from Middlesbrough in 2015/16.
Prior to the winger, it was Michael Tonge’s shirt for several seasons.
If you are thinking outside the box, these are also currently vacant: 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 39 and 40.
