Man Utd announce Sofyan Amrabat's new shirt number

Manchester United have confirmed that Sofyan Amrabat will wear the no.4 shirt this season.

The deadline-day arrival's jersey was not announced at the weekend, when the shirts of Altay Bayindir, Jonny Evans, Sergio Reguilon and Rasmus Hojlund were unveiled, as well as a change to no.17 for Alejandro Garnacho. But the club revealed on Tuesday that Amrabat will sport the number vacated by Phil Jones earlier this summer.

The former defender wore no.4 for 12 years, with Owen Hargreaves the previous occupant. Gabriel Heinze, Juan Sebastian Veron, David May and Steve Bruce are other notable players to hold that shirt.

United fans could get an opportunity to see their new no.4 for the first time when the Red Devils host Brighton & Hove Albion after the international break. Roberto de Zerbi's men come to Old Trafford for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday 16 September, on the back of a 3-0 win over Newcastle United last weekend.

Amrabat signed for United in a £8.85m loan deal, with an option to buy, in the final hour before the window shut on Friday. Given his late transfer, the Moroccan wasn't registered in time to be part of the squad to face Arsenal last weekend, a match United lost 3-1 at the Emirates.

The midfielder's arrival gives Erik ten Hag another option in middle, and the United boss explained on Sunday that he is delighted with the new recruit “I’m very pleased,” he explained. “From the start of the season, it was one of my wishes to get another no.6, another holding midfielder in the squad because in the season you need that depth there in that position.

"We only had Casemiro that can play really good there. Others we have to make compromises. In Sofyan Amrabat we have another one. Also he can play alongside Casemiro because he can play a little bit higher on the pitch, so that’s very good to have him and he fits very good to Premier League football and Champions League football."