Kylian Mbappe set to take Luka Modric's No. 10 at Real Madrid

The Real Madrid number 10 shirt already has a new owner, and it's none other than Kylian Mbappe. 'ESPN' reports that the French forward will take over the iconic number next season, left vacant by Modric after his exit.

It's not as if the player pushed for it. In fact, the same source explains that he was prepared to wait another year if the Croatian ended up renewing his contract. However, he felt that the number 9 wasn't for him and that it would be a marketing coup to wear the same number he sports for the France national team.

The debate now opens on whether the Frenchman is suitable, having received criticism for his performances in key moments despite scoring 44 goals in 59 matches. He is, remember, the highest-scoring debutant in the club's history, ahead of the 37 scored by Ivan Zamorano in the 1992-93 campaign.

Modric carried the weight of the Real Madrid number 10 from the 2017-18 season onwards. During his first five seasons, he had been number 19, but he took over the 'star' number after the departure of James Rodriguez, who in turn had inherited it from Mesut Ozil. It was also worn by historical figures such as Michael Laudrup, Clarence Seedorf and Luis Figo.

For its part, the number 9 remains vacant for another year unless there are any surprises. This number was expected to go to Mbappe in 2023 after Karim Benzema's departure after 13 years, but it remained vacant for a year until the Frenchman landed in the Spanish capital in 2024.