"It's his destiny", "Right time" - Manchester United fans name player who should inherit Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic No. 7 jersey next season

Manchester United fans on Twitter believe Alejandro Garnacho should take over the club's iconic No. 7 jersey, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo wore the jersey for the second time from the start of the 2021-22 season up to midway through the last campaign. As he departed in November 2022 after his contract was terminated, his jersey number remains free heading into the 2023-24 season.

On Tuesday, June 27, Twitter account @UtdDistrict posted an edited photo of Alejandro Garnacho holding up a Manchester United No. 7 jersey with his name on it. They asked fans if the 18-year-old Argentine forward should take over from Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of next season.

While some fans seemed cautious, many among the Red Devils faithful seemed keen to see it happen. One of them tweeted:

"It's his destiny"

Another wrote:

"Right Time. Right Age. 💪🔥🤩💥"

Here are some more reactions from fans:

Alejandro Garnacho enjoyed a breakthrough 2022-23 season for Manchester United after winning Erik ten Hag's trust. The youngster played 34 times across competitions, recording five goals and five assists. If not for an ankle injury that kept him out for nearly two months, all of those numbers may have been higher.

Garnacho's impressive displays for United also saw him make his debut for Argentina earlier this month. The teenager came on as a substitute in their friendlies against Australia and Indonesia.

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Manchester United's No. 7 shirt has weighed heavily on players since Cristiano Ronaldo's first stint with the club

Several iconic players have worn Manchester United's famed No. 7 shirt since the club's inception. The illustrious list is headlined by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 145 times and laid out 64 assists in 346 matches for United in that jersey, while winning titles aplenty.

It also consists of David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson and Gordon Strachan, among others. However, the Red Devils saw a slew of players struggle to deliver while wearing the iconic shirt after Ronaldo left Old Trafford in the summer of 2009.

Michael Owen took over from the Portuguese superstar between 2009 and 2012, but scored just 17 times in 52 matches. He was followed by Antonio Valencia, who wore it during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. Valencia recorded a meagre five goals and 14 assists in 84 matches across those two campaigns.

Angel Di Maria then wore the shirt of his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2014-15 season. Despite starting well, he managed just four goals and 12 assists in 32 matches before leaving the club after a solitary campaign.

Memphis Depay took over from Di Maria, but struggled throughout his time with Manchester United. Depay wore the No. 7 jersey for two seasons and contributed only seven goals and six assists in 53 matches.

United's next No. 7 was Alexis Sanchez, who proved to be one of their biggest transfer blunders ever. Sanchez managed just five goals and nine assists in 45 matches across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons before being shipped out.

Edinson Cavani, who took over the No. 7 shirt for the 2020-21 season, proved to be much better than most on this list. He scored 17 times in 39 matches across competitions before giving the jersey to Cristiano Ronaldo upon the latter's return to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021.

If he does follow in his idol's footsteps and takes Manchester United's No. 7 jersey, Alejandro Garnacho will hope to do better than the names mentioned above.