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Have Manchester City just leaked a major squad shirt number change for the 2024/25 season?

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Eagle-eyed visitors to Manchester City’s official online club store may have spotted a potential shirt number change within Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

The Premier League champions are currently away on their pre-season tour of the United States over the next three weeks, taking on four matches in total having completed the first of those contests in Chapel Hill, North Carolina this week.

A dramatic 3-4 encounter against Scottish Premier League champions Celtic saw Brendan Rodgers’ side come out victorious, despite an excellent showing from several of Manchester City’s young prospects.

The most noteworthy performance came from Oscar Bobb, who recorded an outstanding tally of a goal and two assists across his 90 minutes operating largely as a right-sided winger for Pep Guardiola’s heavily-changed squad.

And after a breakthrough season, and an even greater involvement in the upcoming campaign now expected, Oscar Bobb could also be lined up for a shirt number change to reflect his status within Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad at the Etihad Stadium.

Having worn the number 52 shirt for the duration of his time with squad, and during City’s opening pre-season tour game in the USA, some visitors to the club’s online store hoping to buy Bobb’s shirt were greeted with a change.

Listed amongst the official players available for purchase, the Norwegian international was accompanied by the number 22 shirt number, alongside the likes of the club’s newest summer recruit Savinho and his number 26 shirt.

At present, it remains to be seen whether this is simply an error on the Manchester City club shop website, with Bobb returning to 52 on the list by Wednesday morning, or whether this is an early leak of an exciting alteration to the player’s shirt number.

The number 22 shirt has only been worn twice during the Pep Guardiola era at Manchester City, and both occupied by full-backs under the Catalan coach, whilst the number has not been occupied since the 2022/23 campaign.

Gael Clichy occupied the number 22 shirt upon Pep Guardiola’s arrival at the club in the 2016/17 season, before the arrival of French full-back Benjamin Mendy saw the shirt number retained for several seasons before his exit to Lorient in Ligue 2.

Other notable players to previously take on the number 22 shirt at Manchester City include the likes of Richard Dunne between 2000 and 2010, George Weah in the 2000/01 season, and Richard Edghill between 1993 and 1995.

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