The famous 10: Chelsea’s seven options to inherit Willian’s number

With Willian’s departure, the most famous kit number is available. Which Chelsea players are options to inherit the number?

Willian will be an Arsenal player come the new season. Chelsea was willing to extend his contract, but only for two years when the player wanted three. Now there is a hole left to fill on the field as well as in the Megastore.

Willian inherited the number 10 just a year ago from Eden Hazard, but now the famous number is once again available. It is perhaps the most sought after kit number and Chelsea has a myriad of options that would love to have it. The following are the seven options, in no particular order:

1. Christian Pulisic

Pulisic is probably the front runner at the moment but it is hard to deny that comes with a hefty dose of recency bias. Rewind to the start of the season, or even the midway point, and few would have made calls for Pulisic to wear the 10. His post injury/Covid form was outstanding and it rightly put him into the forefront of fans’ minds.

That is not to say he has not had other moments of glory this season, it is just that most of them came recently enough to flavor the conversation a little more heavily. Pulisic has truly grown into his own and comparisons to Eden Hazard have turned far more favorable so the Blues would not be wrong to pass the number on to him.

Beyond that, there is also the simple financial point of view on the giving Pulisic the 10. Kit sales do not really produce nearly as much cash as people seem to think they do, but they are still an important pillar of a club’s income. Pulisic kits sold like hot cakes in the US when his number was 22. Changing his number to the famous 10 would see another surge worldwide that the Blues could only be happy about.

2. Hakim Ziyech

Ziyech was the first new signing through the door this summer so in a sense, he has the seniority over the incoming players. At 27, he also has the literal seniority over many members in the team that would compete for the 10, so Chelsea may allow Ziyech to take it for putting in the work.

That being said, Ziyech’s kit number history has been a hilarious back and forth. He first wore 22 back in 2013/2014. From the following season until 2016/2017, he wore 10. Arriving at Ajax, he wore 22 one year, 10 the next, 22 the year after that, back to the 10, and finally back to 22.

It seems as though Ziyech probably will not care if he wears 10 or 22, so it may depend on what Pulisic decides (or if Pulisic gets the decision) as to whether or not Ziyech will get the 10.