Renato Sanches Changes Shirt Number As Swansea Completes Midfielder Signing

The Premier League has turned down a request for Renato Sanches to wear the number 85 shirt at Swansea.

The Swans completed a Deadline Day signing for the midfielder on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich and, shortly after news of the arrival broke, Swansea took to Twitter to reveal the chosen shirt number for their new man had been rejected.

According to the club’s post, the Premier League denied the application because “squad numbers must be consecutive and close to the current highest number.”

The 20-year-old, whose move reunites him with former Bayern coach Paul Clement, will consequently wear the No 35 during his stay at the Liberty Stadium.

The Portugal international sported the No 85 during much of his time at Benfica, where he made 24 appearances before moving to Bayern last May, and wears the No 16 for his country.

Had Sanches been given the go-ahead to take the No 85 shirt it would have become the highest number worn in the league’s history, topping the current record of the No 78 worn by Manchester City’s Jose Pose Angel Pozo in 2014.

Despite the number’s rejection, Swansea quipped the club are “still going ahead with the transfer.”