Andrey Santos Takes On Man Utd's Infamous Shirt Number Loaded With Controversy

Manchester United have secured Andrey Santos as the club's first summer acquisition, launching a midfield overhaul that was already deemed necessary even before Casemiro's recent departure.

Santos has arrived from Chelsea, having featured over 40 times across all competitions last season while offering BlueCo a chance to generate profit. He wore the no. 17 at Stamford Bridge and has now claimed the same number at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian began his professional career at Vasco da Gama at just 16 years old. In 2023, he made the move to Europe to sign for Chelsea at 18, and was still a teenager when a loan spell at Nottingham Forest failed to deliver for either party. A strong 18-month stint at Strasbourg revived his career, and he now ranks among the top 20 most expensive signings in Manchester United history.

Santos will become the 11th Brazilian to represent the club, following Kléberson, Anderson, Rafael, Fábio, Andreas Pereira, Fred, Alex Telles, Antony, Casemiro and Matheus Cunha. Rodrigo Possebon was born in Brazil but went on to represent Italy internationally.

Santos's Career Shirt Numbers History

Santos has worn a limited selection of shirt numbers throughout his career so far, though two stand out—8 and 18—tied to his breakthrough at Vasco da Gama and his successful spell at Strasbourg.

He was initially given the number 20 at Chelsea, then switched to 17, with 12 worn during his time at Nottingham Forest in between.

Throughout much of his youth international career with Brazil, Santos regularly wore 5, reflecting his defensive-midfield position. For the senior Seleção, he has consistently worn 18.

Complete History of Man Utd's No. 17 Shirt

The introduction of squad numbers in the Premier League in 1993 means the no. 17 has a relatively brief history at Manchester United compared to more iconic numbers like 7 or 11.

It was first assigned to Colin McKee, a peer of David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes in the legendary Class of '92. However, the young forward made just one appearance—a 0–0 draw with Coventry City in May 1994—before departing. Months later, Andy Cole arrived in a British record deal from Newcastle United, wearing 17 on the day he became the first Premier League player to score five goals in a single match, against Ipswich Town in February 1995.

Cole wore it for only 18 months, however, making the bulk of his United contributions in the no. 9 shirt. Reserve goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw held the number for six years, followed by brief stints from academy midfielder Michael Stewart and the late Liam Miller.

Henrik Larsson became a fan favourite during a short loan spell at the start of 2007, after which Portuguese winger Nani arrived and became by far the most successful holder of the shirt, winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League over seven seasons.

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Daley Blind had his moments, while Fred had fewer. The most recent wearer before Santos was the Brazilian's former Chelsea teammate Alejandro Garnacho, who had 17 on his back when he scored the breathtaking overhead kick that won the 2024 FIFA Puskás Award.