With some reports suggesting that Ghana Jo is expected to wear the iconic number 7 shirt at Old Trafford, the Argentina international has grown into one of the world's finest young players and was nominated for the 2023 Golden Boy Award, but how will he cope with the pressure of expectations that comes with wearing the club's legendary shirt? Of course, there are some truly iconic players at Manchester United wearing this famous shirt, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, George Best and Brian Robson, as well as some major failures, namely Michael Owen and Alexis Sanchez.
George Best
An icon on and off the pitch, Best remains the only Northern Irish to win the Ballon d'Or, having been United's top scorer for six consecutive seasons before leaving in 1974. He helped the Reds win the league twice and the 1968 UEFA Champions Cup and scored in the final to help the Reds win 4-1 over Benfica.
Brian Robson
In 2011, in a poll of former Manchester United players, "the former Manchester United captain was named the greatest player in Manchester United's history, Robson made 461 appearances for the Reds, scored 99 goals, became the first England captain of the Reds to lift the FA Cup, and helped the team win the Premier League and Cup Winners' Cup."
Keith Gillespie
In 1992, Gillespie won the FA Youth Cup as part of Manchester United, taking in the footsteps of compatriot Best and being awarded the number 7 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson. However, he failed to fully establish himself at Old Trafford and Andre Canchelskis left him out of the team for a long time, eventually being sold to Newcastle in 1995.
Eric Cantona
Cantona, who joined Leeds United in 1992 and spent five years at Old Trafford, threw the opposing defence into terror, scoring a shocking goal as Alex Ferguson's side began dominating the English game. He will likely be remembered forever for his infamous kung fu kick at Selhurst Park Stadium, but his football legacy will never be forgotten at Manchester United.
David Beckham
David Beckham grew from a precocious young winger to one of England's finest captains during his time at Old Trafford. Although David Beckham did not always agree with Ferguson, he played a key role in the trophy for the Red Devils in the late 90s and early 2000s. After playing nearly 350 games for the club he supported as a child, he finally moved to Real Madrid in 2003.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Replacing David Beckham in the place is no easy task for any player, but Ronaldo's talent and confidence quickly made him a favourite among Old Trafford fans. The Portuguese joined from Atletico de Portugal and arrived in Manchester as a teenager and left as one of the world's greatest stars, becoming United's first Ballon d'Or winner since Best. Like David Beckham, he eventually moved to Real Madrid and joined Real Madrid in 2009 for a world-record £80 million transfer.
Michael Irving
Plagued by injuries, his relationship with Liverpool and his confrontation with Wayne Rooney and Dimita Berbatov meant Owen was a failed addition from the moment he joined United in 2009. During his three years at Old Trafford, he didn't have much of an impact, and the only thing that impressed him was that the killer goal against Manchester City in injury time went down in Old Trafford history.
Antonio Valencia
After Valencia signed Owen from Wigan Athletic, Valencia were given the number 7 shirt for the 2012-13 season. However, he struggled to withstand the pressure of his shirt and put back on his favourite number 25 shirt in the second season, and since then he has improved his form to become Manchester United's captain and one of United's most important players at the time.
Angel Di Maria
Di Maria moved from Real Madrid after a season without the number 7 shirt, where he was named Player of the Match in the Champions League final a few months ago. However, the Argentine quickly fell out of favor under Louis van Gaal and, despite contributing 12 assists and four goals at the end of the season, the winger was sold to Paris Saint-Germain after just one year in England.
Memphis Depay
Memphis was signed by Manchester United for £25 million, but his performance at the time did not meet the demands of then-manager Jose Mourinho, who was sold to Lyon in January 2017.
Alexis Sanchez
When United beat Manchester City to sign Alexis Sanchez, it was considered a genuinely satisfying transfer for Old Trafford, but the move quickly turned into a nightmare. Sanchez later said he wanted to leave the club after his first training session and ended up spending only one and a half seasons in Manchester. Scoring just five goals in 45 appearances, he was loaned to Inter Milan in 2019-20 and moved permanently to Inter Milan in the summer of 2020.
Edinson Cavani
Edinson Cavani joined United in October 2020 and was supposed to be an important part of the team's forward line, however, the Uruguay international scored just 19 goals in three seasons before being allowed to leave on a free transfer.