Chelsea confirm 2020-21 shirt numbers

The annual shirt number dance is over. The music has stopped.

Of course, this may still not be final since there are players with assigned numbers who might be heading out on loan anyway (right, Michy?), but that’s not what’s important here.

UPDATE: Batshuayi’s No.23 has in fact now been reassigned to Billy Gilmour!

What is important is confirmation that Christian Pulisic is the new Chelsea No.10 (no pressure, kid!), Thiago Silva is the new Chelsea No.6 (best No.6 since Carvalho and the G.O.A.T. Marcel Desailly?), and Ben Chilwell is the new Chelsea No.21 (arrivederci, Zappacosta!).

Meanwhile, as expected, Hakim Ziyech has taken Pulisic’s old No.22, Timo Werner has taken Pedro’s old No.11, and Kai Havertz has taken Tomori’s old No.29. Tomori himself is still around, for now, and has picked up the No.14 (a.k.a. the Bakayoko special). Lewis Baker did not get a number even though he’s still training with the first-team.

Here’s the full list, with changes in bold.

1 — Kepa Arrizabalaga
2 — Antonio Rüdiger
3 — Marcos Alonso
4 — Andreas Christensen
5 — Jorginho
6 — Thiago Silva (bye-bye Danny Drinkwater)
7 — N’Golo Kanté
8 — Ross Barkley
9 — Tammy Abraham
10 — Christian Pulisic (was Willian’s)
11 — Timo Werner (was Pedro’s)
12 — Ruben Loftus-Cheek
13 — Willy Caballero
14 — Fikayo Tomori (changed from No.29; last seen on Bakayoko)
15 — Kurt Zouma
16 — *vacant*
17 — Mateo Kovačić
18 — Olivier Giroud
19 — Mason Mount
20 — Callum Hudson-Odoi
21 — Ben Chilwell (last seen on Zappacosta)
22 — Hakim Ziyech (was Pulisic’s) Pulisic
23 — Michy Batshuayi Billy Gilmour
24 — Reece James
28 — César Azpilicueta
29 — Kai Havertz (was Tomori’s)
33 — Emerson
47 — Billy Gilmour