Real Madrid fans saw Luka Modric wear the coveted number 10 shirt for the last time against Paris Saint-Germain. Now, after the Croatian legend’s departure, the number is up for grabs.
Who must take it? The first name that comes to mind is, of course, Kylian Mbappe. He must rightfully be the first in the race to get the number he already wears for the French national team.
He has the glamour, the numbers, and the status to wear the symbol on his back. Also, from a commercial perspective, Mbappe’s name coupled with the number 10 will sell, quite a lot, actually.
Madrid will benefit a great deal from handing over this number to the Frenchman. And he was considered the foremost and the only person in the race to get it. But it now appears that a player has risen from the ranks to challenge Mbappe for the prize.
Mbappe will be rivalled by Real Madrid midfielder for the special number
Right after the team bus halted on the return from the Club World Cup, the omnipresent cameras captured something. It was a visual of Luka Modric bending over to fetch something from his bag. He took out his number 10 shirt and handed it over to Arda Guler, followed by an affectionate hug between the two.
Now that seems normal for a young player bidding farewell to a legend and taking his shirt in honour, but fans and media have another mind that works. They didn’t just see affection in the gesture, they saw a passing of the baton of sorts.
They saw Modric give his coveted number 10 to the young Arda Guler. While it does sound like a stretch, owing to the fact that Modric does not get to decide who gets his number next, it has surely created a buzz.
According to Marca, apart from Mbappe, Guler has also entered the race to get the number 10 shirt from Madrid.
The decision, of course, hasn’t been made by the board yet. But the Turkish youngster has some impressive credentials to claim the shirt.
He is clearly Xabi Alonso’s preferred technician, and his importance is only going to increase in the upcoming season. He has the flair, the magic, and the creativity that Modric enchanted the Santiago Bernabeu with.
And that makes a good case for the commercially exploitable number to be handed over to the boy. Nevertheless, Mbappe still appears to be leading the race. We will have to see what happens, but that’s the story, and we wanted to tell you that.