Kylian Mbappe will be the new No. 10 at Real Madrid – 99% confirmed | OneFootball

In a major development, Kylian Mbappe will wear the number 10 shirt at Real Madrid next season, confirms AS.

The official handshake has not yet taken place, but it is 99% confirmed, because Mbappe is in favour of the idea. As such, everything is said and done, pending one final conversation.

Mbappe beats competition

As per the report, two players, Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham, had quietly been eyeing the No. 10 at Real Madrid.

There were even voices inside the Bernabeu suggesting it could be offered to new summer signing Franco Mastantuono.

But the original plan has prevailed. The No. 10 has been offered to Mbappe, and he will accept it.

The New No. 10. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

It has been the plan since late May, when Real Madrid restarted the operation. There was no urgency, partly out of respect for Luka Modric, the shirt’s owner since 2017.

Big marketing boost

It is worth remembering what happened with the No. 9 shirt last year: within hours after Mbappe being announced, the wait time to receive it stretched to over a month and a half. A global brand like Adidas admitted to being overwhelmed.

They responded impressively and, after intense work, managed to reduce delivery delays. That moment sparked a commercial earthquake and something similar is expected now — a frenzy over the No. 10 shirt with Mbappe’s name on it.

Real Madrid have already informed Mbappe that if he wants it, it is his. It is, first, a public gesture of handing leadership to the megastar. Second, it is a marketing bombshell.

With Mbappe accepting the #10, the #9 becomes vacant. That opens a new discussion. A few weeks ago, all signs pointed to Endrick. He would accept it without hesitation, and the club supported the idea. But the rise of Gonzalo Garcia have put the decision on pause.