Man City signing Gianluigi Donnarumma selects shirt number he was banned from wearing at PSG

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Italian goalkeeping icon Gianluigi Donnarumma has signed for Manchester City but the shot-stopper will not wear the No. 1 jersey despite joining to become Pep Guardiola's first choice

Man City have signed goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG(Image: Getty)

New Manchester City signing Gianluigi Donnarumma will wear his favoured shirt number in the Premier League after being banned from doing so at Paris Saint-Germain.

The 26-year-old Italian joined City in a £26million transfer from PSG on deadline day, signing a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium. Donnarumma became Pep Guardiola's seventh summer acquisition and second goalkeeper signing.

Upon his return to the club in July, former academy star James Trafford was given the No.1 jersey. That means Donnarumma will don the No. 99 shirt for City – which works out well for the recent Treble winner as it is his preferred pick.

He wore 99 as a youngster rising through the ranks at AC Milan because it marks the year of his birth, with the number becoming somewhat of a trademark as he emerged as one of Italy's standout goalkeepers.

However, after moving to PSG on a free transfer in 2021, Donnarumma was unable to retain his signature digits due to a strange Ligue 1 rule. The French top division traditionally required all players to wear a number between 1 and 30, with 1, 16 and 30 being reserved solely for goalkeepers.

Rule #670 of the LFP stated: "Every Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 club must establish the number assignment list on Isyfoot 72 hours before the start of the competition.

Donnarumma initially wasn't allowed to pick No. 99 at PSG(Image: Getty)

"The numbers 1, 16 and 30 are exclusively and necessarily reserved for goalkeepers. Ultimately, the number 40 can be assigned. All teams must have a jersey with number 33 that is not assigned to a player and reserved for breaking replacements. A directory is established early in the season and available to referees and delegates by the LFP."

That meant Donnarumma was forced to wear the No. 1 shirt for Ligue 1 matches, although UEFA's separate guidelines permitted PSG to register him with his preferred 99 during Champions League fixtures.

The same rule stopped Mario Balotelli from wearing his famous No. 45 jersey at both Nice and Marseille, forcing him to wear No. 9 instead.

During his debut season in France in 2021/22, Donnarumma ended up getting a special reprieve granted so that he could wear the No. 50. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, was allowed to wear a number normally sported by a goalkeeper when he took No. 30.

But that all changed ahead of the 2022/23 season, with the league granting players greater freedom when it came to their choice of shirt number. From that season onwards, Ligue 1 players have been allowed to choose any number between two and 99, whilst No. 1 remains exclusively for goalkeepers.

Given the Premier League's more lenient stance on numbers, Donnarumma won't face similar complications in the English top flight.

City will be hoping the Euro 2020 winner’s favourite jersey will boost his confidence between the sticks for the Manchester Derby after the international break, where he might make his club debut.