Manchester United have shaken up several players numbers this summer with two more youngsters now having their squad numbers changed.
Pre-season is now well and truly underway for Manchester United, with the entire first-team now at Carrington preparing for the 2025-26 campaign.
United’s second phase of returning players saw the group rounded out and now Ruben Amorim has almost his full strength squad in training which will be a massive benefit for the Portuguese head coach.
There are new faces in the group, while several players are now wearing new numbers.
Diogo Dalot has been handed the number 2 shirt after it became free with the release of Victor Lindelof earlier this month. Another new number comes in the form of Matheus Cunha who has been handed the number 10 shirt, despite Marcus Rashford remaining at the club.
Youth players have also seen new numbers awarded based on the impact they have had in Amorim’s thinking thus far.
Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund arrive for the pre-season Manchester United training at the Carrington training complex in 2025 in Manchester.
Photo by Ash Donelon – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
Chido Obi handed new shirt number at Manchester United
In the first week of training, United initially confirmed three youngsters had new numbers, with all three being in line to play a role in the new season.
Bendito Mantato 85 to 70
Shea Lacey 72 to 62
Reece Munro 79 to 65
Now, on Friday United have announced, via club media, two additional number changes.
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First, Chido Obi has seen his number change to 32 ahead of the new campaign. Obi was handed 56 last season for his breakout year and so this is an upgrade and sees him follow in the footsteps of Carlos Tevez.
This is a big leap, showing that Amorim has big plans for Obi this season, but also that he is not quite there yet in regards to getting a top number.
Obi is joined by his fellow 2024-25 debutant Tyler Fredricson, who has been handed the number 33 shirt number which is a drastic change from the 55 he donned in his breakout season.
A new number for Fredricson is deserved after his brilliant start to life at United and he looks set to get plenty more chances next season.
Following Chido Obi’s debut season for United, he will be delighted to have earned a number which is more befitting of a first team player.
However, it wasn’t the perfect number.
With Dalot taking the number 2, it leaves 20 open and available and United missed a trick with not handing it to Obi.
If Obi was wearing 20, it would see him follow in the footsteps of Robin van Persie, who was the last striker to ditch Arsenal for Old Trafford.
Obi would also be following in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s boots, for a season in which the Dane looks likely to play a super sub role.
20 might still be open next summer and if it is, perhaps Obi will take it then.