Man Utd's No. 7, Chelsea's No. 8 & More - Here Are The Most Important Vacant Premier League Numbers
With the English Premier League season in full swing, we take a look at which iconic numbers are available at the biggest clubs.
Numbers often have a particular importance for players and teams. In example, many clubs decided to retire shirt numbers forever (e.g. AS Roma, who decided not to give No. 10 to any other player than Totti after the club legend retired and Napoli, who won't give Maradona's No. 10 to any other player).
In fact, there are many vacant numbers in Europe's biggest leagues with the exception one one league: Spain's first division. La Liga clubs have to give all of their first teams players numbers between #1 and #25.
Arsenal - No 1
Arsenal's No. 1 shirt has been vacant since Wojciech Szczesny left the club in 2015. Arsenal goalkeepers are currently wearing No. 13 (David Ospina), No. 26 (Emiliano Martinez) and No. 33 (Petr Cech). It seems unlikely that the gap will be filled soon.
Chelsea - No. 8, No. 25
Chelsea's iconic No. 8 shirt has been free since Oscar left the club. It is likely that one of Chelsea's next big signings will get the number used by club legend Lampard for more than a decade.
Chelsea's number 25 shirt has not been allocated to another player since Zola left the club in 2003. It has not been retired, however...
Manchester United - No. 7
Manchester United's number 7 has been the number of some of the club's greatest-ever players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, George Best and David Beckham. Since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in 2009, there had been four players using Manchester United's iconic No. 7, and all of them rather failed at the club (Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia, Memphis Depay, Angel di Maria ).
An iconic number that was vacant for a few weeks at Manchester United this summer was Rooney's No.10, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic already picked the number 10 shirt as Lukaku previously had received Zlatan's No.9 shirt.
Liverpool - No. 8 (Summer 2015 Until Summer 2018)
What to do with such an iconic number as the one from club legend like Steven Gerrard? While teams such as AS Roma decided to retire the shirt of their likely biggest legend (Totti - No. 10), Liverpool gave Nabi Keita the iconic shirt with number 10 after the number had been vacant for some seasons - big shoes to fill for the midfielder.
Manchester City - No. 6, 9 & 11
Manchester City currently has many traditional numbers free currently after many players left the club. Many of their current top players are wearing relatively high numbers (e.g. Gabriel Jesus #33). It would be no surprise if some of them would follow John Stones' example and switch shirt numbers (John Stones switched from No. 24 to No. 5 after Zabaleta left the club).
Which vacant numbers from clubs from other countries would be worth a mention? Let us know in the comments below.
Vintage Football Shirts
from Cult Kits
2002/04 Spain Joaquin #22 Third Shirt (L) Adidas
1998/99 Macclesfield Town *Mint* Home Shirt (XL) Super League
Il Divin Codino Baggio Italy Tee
2014 Mexico Chicharito #14 L/S Home Shirt (S) Adidas
2001/02 Atletico Madrid *BNWT* Nike Cotton Hand Towel
1993 Yokohama Flugels Home Shirt (M) Puma
2004/06 Netherlands Seedorf #20 Home Shirt (L) Nike
2015/16 Internacional 1/4 Zip Fleece Top (XL.Kids) Adidas
1995/97 Nike *BNWT* Template Shirt (Multiple Sizes)
2020/21 USA Womens Lavelle #16 Away Shirt (XL Mens) Nike
Fenerbahçe 26-27 Kits - First Official Pictures Leaked
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Harrogate Town 26-27 Home Kit Released
Harrogate Town has officially revealed its new home kit for the 2026-2027 season. Produced by technical sponsor New Balance, the latest primary strip offers a bold and modern twist on the club's traditional yellow and black colors. Following the recent reveal of their striking geometric away jersey, this home release confirms that New Balance is committed to delivering highly bespoke and eye-catching designs for the North Yorkshire side's upcoming campaign.
The New Balance Harrogate Town 26-27 home shirt features a vibrant yellow base, anchored by thick black vertical stripes across the front of the torso. However, instead of traditional solid bands, these stripes are executed with a modern, pixelated halftone gradient effect that fades heavily around the midsection to seamlessly accommodate the black "envirovent" sponsor logo. To ensure a cohesive and sharp aesthetic, the New Balance manufacturer logo and the official club crest are both applied in a sleek black and yellow monochrome finish.
The launch completes the team's set for 2026-2027.
What are your thoughts on this pixelated gradient stripe design for the new Harrogate Town home kit? Let us know in the comments below.
