Reason behind Gianluigi Donnarumma’s unusual shirt number revealed after Man City switch
Manchester City’s new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has opted for an unusual squad number on his move to the Etihad.
Donnarumma finalised a move to Man City on deadline day from French champions PSG, with Ederson joining Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Man City have already signed James Trafford from Burnley this summer, with the 22-year-old starting each of the opening three Premier League fixtures.
Back-to-back defeats against Spurs and Brighton have left Man City six points off the top of the table already.
Gianluigi Donnarumma squad number confirmed
With Trafford taking the number one jersey, Donnarumma has chosen the 99 shirt to wear at the club.
As per BBC Sport [2 September], the number 99 represents the year the Italian was born, and he had previously worn the number when he started his career at AC Milan.
Donnarumma had worn the number 1 at PSG, and does so for the Italian national team.
Pep Guardiola has goalkeeping decision to make
Football Insider Verdict
Following Donnarumma’s arrival, Pep Guardiola needs to decide whether the 26-year-old replaces Trafford in-between the sticks.
Despite a costly error against Spurs, Trafford impressed at Brighton with a series of fine saves, and the goalkeeper is known for his ability to play out from the back.
Donnarumma is a strong shot stopper and helped PSG win the Champions League last season, but the Italian is not known for his on the ball ability which is crucial to how a Guardiola side operates.
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Stats |
| Appearances | 161 |
| Clean Sheets | 56 |
| Goals Conceded | 156 |
Guardiola has the international break to ponder over the decision as he now has two top goalkeepers, and Stefan Ortega, at his disposal.
Man City arguably have the strongest trio of goalkeepers in the Premier League, though the way they lost their lead at Brighton signals work is still needed at the back.