Cristiano Ronaldo also changed his shirt number early into his Madrid career. Like Mbappe, the Portugal international wore the No 9 after joining the club from Manchester United in the summer of 2009. He inherited Raul’s No 7 shirt from the 2010/11 season onwards.

As the only two natural strikers in Alonso’s squad, both Endrick and Gonzalo would fit the mold of the No. 9 shirt at Real Madrid. Yet the “heated” battle between the two players puts the club in a tricky position, forced to choose between the teenage sensation they once believed in or the breakout star that more-than proved his worth this summer.

According to Ben Jacobs, a Saudi club is preparing a mind-blowing offer: €350 million for Real Madrid, and an astronomical €1 billion over five years for Vinicius — that’s €200 million per year. A figure never seen before in football history. The Saudi project is promising him a king-like status.