Barcelona face huge dilemma over Lionel Messi's vacated #10 shirt - Reports
According to the latest reports from Spanish outlet Sport (via Barca Blaugranes), Barcelona will not be handing Lionel Messi's vacated number 10 shirt to any of their players this season.
This contradicts speculation that Barcelona have offered the number 10 shirt to Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho for the current season. However, Lionel Messi's iconic shirt number is so far vacant with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner now not part of Barcelona's squad.
According to La Liga regulations, a club is not allowed to retire a shirt number. Each club can have a 25 man squad for the season and each should be given a shirt number between 1-25. This means Barcelona will eventually have to give Lionel Messi's number 10 if they want to play with a full 25-man squad.
According to the aforementioned source, Barcelona currently have 25 players in their squad. But since the transfer window is open, one of their players could leave in the next couple of months to allow the Catalan giants to keep the number 10 shirt vacant.
In unavoidable circumstances where the number has to be given to a player, Barcelona would prefer to give Lionel Messi's number 10 to a La Masia graduate instead of Philippe Coutinho.
Also Read: David James' column - Ranking the 5 favorites for the European Golden Boot this season (2021-22)
Lionel Messi is set to wear his first Barcelona number at Paris Saint-Germain
Instead of wearing the number 10 shirt at PSG, Lionel Messi has instead opted to wear the number 30 shirt, which was his first Barcelona shirt number during his debut La Liga season.
The 34-year-old forward started his career with the number 30 shirt but was later given the number 19. However, once the great Ronaldinho left Barcelona, Messi took the vacated number 10 shirt which he kept until his departure in 2021.
Speaking to RMC Sport, Lionel Messi revealed why he is going to don the number 30 at PSG. Messi said:
"Number 30 was the first number I wore when I made my Barcelona debut. After so many years, it's like a new beginning for me."
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Neymar's role in Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG, Chelsea's transfer plans and more