Let’s get to speculating.
Pen hit paper on Friday and what has been very eagerly anticipated was made real. Liverpool unveiled the signing of 22 year old Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen to much anticipated fanfare.
While there are still many things unknown to us fans regarding the transfer, including where exactly this fluid and creative player will fit into our setup tactically, the official announcement made sure to mention that Wirtz’s shirt number will be announced later in the summer. We’ve gotten a little used to seeing the numbers announced alongside players, so the waiting period has given this writer a little pause.
The midfielder is expected to join the team in July for preseason, so we may have a decision by then, but we can have a little fun speculating. Midfielders typically wear numbers between 6 and 11, but a few of those are already spoken for in the squad.
The practical answer is that he will likely pick 27, the number he wore as he started his senior career with Leverkusen. Most recently he wore the number 10 shirt for Xabi Alonso’s former squad, but that shirt is currently worn by World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and he is unlikely to give it up. 27, as we know it, is currently vacant and had previously been worn by club legend Divock Origi and Darwin Núñez.
The less fun but still practical answer is that he might be interested in the number 9 shirt, currently held by Darwin. With rumors floating that our dear chaos himbo is on his way out, that would mean that the number 9 shirt would become free. Wirtz most notably played as a false nine in Xabi’s set up for Leverkusen, so the number 9 shirt wouldn’t be that far of a stretch for the midfielder’s position. This obviously becomes less likely as summer wears on and either Darwin doesn’t leave or Liverpool sign an outright striker who would like the traditional striker’s number, but it’s not something to count out either.
For Germany, Wirtz has also worn the numbers 7, 11, and 17, though none of these numbers are available at Liverpool, with the 7 being worn by Luis Diaz, Curtis Jones holding 17, and of course number 11 being Mohamed Salah. He is unlikely to ask any of these players to give those numbers, especially considering how iconic 7 and 11 have been for Liverpool.
Naturally, this being a little bit of fun, Wirtz could choose a number none of us expect, eschewing tradition. The Premier League has no restrictions on what players can wear what numbers, and players are allowed to choose anything from 1 to 99. Even the Bundesliga had some restrictions on numbering, with the rules being changed in 2011-12 to allow players to choose between 1 and 40, though 1 was reserved for goalkeepers. So there’s nothing stopping this 22 year old from choosing something silly.
As it currently stands, of the traditional 1-30 numbers for the senior squad, numbers 6, 12, 13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, and 29 are all currently available. Jeremie Frimpong, Wirtz’s best friend and former Leverkusen teammate-now-Liverpool-teammate, will likely choose 30 as his shirt as that is what he’s worn throughout his career.
There is also a business side to consider. Florian Wirtz is sponsored by Adidas, as evidenced by this post they made following the announcement. With Adidas taking over at the end of Nike’s contract this summer, it is also likely that the shirt number reveal will line up with the official reveal of next season’s kits, ahead of the new deal taking effect on August 1st.
Regardless of the number or the kit-maker, Wirtz number whatever shirts are bound to be best sellers come next season.
