Real Madrid's famous No. 7 shirt has now reportedly been set aside for a certain new player following Eden Hazard's confirmed exit.
Los Blancos have allowed four players to leave the club as free agents over the past week, namely Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, Karim Benzema and Hazard.
Read: CONFIRMED: Vinicius gets justice, 7 punished
Reports in Spain suggest that more players are likely to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the coming months, including defenders Alvaro Odriozola and Jesus Vallejo, as well as back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
While outgoings seem to have taken priority so far, it is believed some high-profile arrivals are on the cards too, with two England stars reportedly topping Real's list of priority signings.
Three Lions duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are both being courted by the LaLiga giants, with the latter's proposed move reported to be at an advanced stage, with the midfielder said to have agreed personal terms with Los Merengues in May already.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has stated that the situation now hinges on Real and Borussia Dortmund agreeing a fee for the 19-year-old, whose market value stands at €120 million (R2.4 billion), per Transfermarkt.
With Bellingham's transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu believed to be extremely likely at this point, Spanish outlet El Mundo has now claimed that the 14-time UEFA Champions League winners have reserved their iconic No. 7 shirt for the BVB central midfielder.
The shirt was most recently worn by club record transfer Hazard after he joined the side in 2019 for €115 million (R2.3 billion) from Chelsea.
The jersey is considered magical in Real folklore and has been donned by some of the club's greatest footballers, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul Gonzalez.
Read: 'My first salary at Chiefs was R28 000'
However, if he does get it, Bellingham may have to relinquish the number in the near future as there are also suggestions that the jersey could be given to Kylian Mbappe should he sign for the club in June 2024.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
WATCH: