Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has provided the most assists in football. The Argentina captain has tallied 390 assists in his record-breaking career for club and country.

Messi ended his maiden league campaign with PSG with 15 assists in 26 Ligue 1 outings. This includes a hat-trick of assists for his new club against Clermont Foot in April 2022.

His hat-trick of assists for PSG was the sixth instance in his career where the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner provided three assists in a single game. Furthermore, Messi also became the first player to rack up a hat-trick of assists for two different clubs, having previously done it for FC Barcelona.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil tops the list for most hat-trick assists in football. Ozil has done it on eight occasions, and Messi's recent hat-trick of assists saw him join former team-mate Cesc Fabregas on six career assist hat-tricks.

Messi is also the top assist provider in the history of Spanish La Liga. The 35-year-old forward has tallied a whopping 193 assists in Spain’s top-tier football league; a number which is significantly higher than the second-placed Xavi (117) on the list.

Bayern Munich’s creative engine, Thomas Muller is second on the list with 296 career assists. Meanwhile, Messi’s former teammate and current Gremio frontman, Luis Suarez is third on the list of most assists in football. The Uruguayan has recorded a total of 285 assists to date. 

Juventus and Argentina winger Angel di Maria is fourth on the list with 277 assists. Following the former Paris Saint-Germain star is his former Real Madrid teammate and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has provided 268 assists in his career. 

Most assists in football

Featured photo: AFP / Ben Stansall

Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo has recorded the most assists in UEFA Champions League history, excluding qualifiers. The former Real Madrid frontman tops the list with 42 assists in a record 181 UCL games.

Ronaldo, who also holds the record for most goals (140) in Champions League history, made his UCL debut in a Manchester United shirt against VfB Stuttgart in a 1-2 defeat in October 2003. 

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s best season in terms of assists in the UEFA Champions League was the 2016-17 campaign when the Portugal captain tallied an impressive six assists and 12 goals in 13 outings.

Ronaldo’s tally of 42 UCL assists is followed closely by his on-field rival Lionel Messi, who has provided 36 assists in the continental championship. Interestingly, both Ronaldo and Messi are without an assist in the competition in the ongoing season.

Messi’s Argentina and PSG teammate Angel Di Maria follows the aforementioned duo with 35 assists in the Champions League. The 34-year-old was particularly at his best during the 2019-20 season when he totalled seven assists in nine UCL games. It was, however, during the 2020-21 season that he surpassed Ryan Giggs�?figure of 31 assists in the Champions League, making the Welsman’s record the fourth-best in the competition.

Former Barcelona midfielder and current boss Xavi Hernandez completes the top five list for most assists in the UEFA Champions League. The four-time Champions League winner provided 30 assists in 157 UCL matches.

Most assists in UEFA Champions League

Featured photo: AFP / Marco Bertorello

Exploring the free agents�?market is something that every top club wants to contemplate. The proposition of getting a top name on a free transfer has become somewhat of a norm and teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have already gone down the route, with the former signing Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gigio Donnarumma last summer.

It’s the same story every season and by the winter transfer window, not only the players but also the clubs start scouting their options and this year’s no different. By the end of the 2021/22 season, several top names will be out of contract and one can expect significant movements in the summer.

On that note, we look at five big names that are available on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.

Kylian Mbappe - Paris Saint-Germain

Kylian Mbappe was a subject of interest for Real Madrid last summer and even the club made peace with the fact that there’s no point in tabling more offers for the French forward. Back then, Real Madrid made a �?60 million offer for the 23-year-old but saw their bid getting an outright rejection.

As things stand, Mbappe’s current PSG contract will run down in June 2022 and despite forcing an exit early in the season, he is said to be in talks with the club over a potential renewal. That deal, however, is only to ensure the young forward does not leave the club for free.

Paul Pogba - Manchester United

Paul Pogba, whose last Manchester United appearance came in November 2021, is expected to leave the club on a free transfer for the second time in his career. Neither the player nor the team seemed to have made up their mind over a decision, and as things stand, the parties involved are ready to wait until the last minute before making any kind of commitment.

Pogba, who joined United in 2016 on a five-year contract, is free to sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January but is expected to wait until summer. It is being said that Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are monitoring his situation, but no offer has been placed so far.

Angel di Maria - Paris Saint-Germain

Another high-profile name from the French capital is that of Angel di Maria. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United winger will be out of contract in June 2022 and hasn’t found an agreement in place over a possible extension. It is reported that the player has been offered to Inter by his agent but the Argentine is being assessed since he is not the priority at the moment.

Despite going under the radar, the left-footed winger has scored three goals coupled with four assists in 13 Ligue 1 games this season. And while there is hope that he will, in fact, sign a new deal, an agreement is yet to be reached.

Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea

Chelsea have as many as three first-choice defenders who will be out of contract in the summer. One of them is Antonio Rudiger, who has attracted interest from some of the top clubs around the continent. While there are hopes that he will put pen to a new long-term deal with Blues, interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid persists. And these are the kinds of teams that are hard to reject.

Chelsea are set to be working on a new contract, but it is said that the defender will assess his options before committing to his future.

Ousmane Dembele - Barcelona

Barcelona are in absolute mess regarding the future of Ousmane Dembele. The French forward will be out of contract in the summer and although the Catalan club has already tabled a few offers, the player is yet to accept the term.

While Barcelona are keen on extending his stay, lucrative offers from the Premier League mean the team cannot compete with the suitors on the financial front given they are already failing to comply with La Liga’s salary cap rule. Dembele’s salary demand is proving to be the stumbling block and judging by the looks of things, an exit seems quite evident.

Featured photo: AFP / Thomas Coex

The Argentina national football team will take on Ecuador in their quarter-final clash of Copa America 2021 at the Estadio Olimpico Pedro Ludovico in Goiânia, Brazil, on Sunday, July 4.

The Lionel Messi-led La Albiceleste have remained unbeaten in the ongoing edition of Copa America so far and they are currently on a 17-match unbeaten streak. After playing a disappointing 1-1 draw against Chile in their opening fixture, Argentina have registered three consecutive victories against Uruguay (1-0), Paraguay (1-0) and Bolivia (4-1). With 10 points from four games, Lionel Scaloni’s men finished at the top of the Copa America Group A standings.

#CopaAmérica

�?@Argentina 4 (Alejandro Gómez, Lionel #Messi x2 y Lautaro Martínez) #Bolivia 1 (Erwin Saavedra)

�?40' ST pic.twitter.com/UrYATUitGB

�?Selección Argentina (@Argentina) June 29, 2021

On the other hand, the Ecuador national football team squeezed into the quarter-final stage after managing a 1-1 draw against host Brazil in their final group match.

¡TREMENDOS!

Revivimos TODOS LOS GOLES �?de la Fecha 5 de la CONMEBOL #CopaAmérica 2021

TREMENDOS!

Revivemos TODOS OS GOLS �?da Rodada 5 da CONMEBOL #CopaAmérica 2021#VibraElContinente #VibraOContinente pic.twitter.com/MNpQtK0kIy

�?Copa América (@CopaAmerica) June 29, 2021

After succumbing to a 1-0 defeat against Colombia in their first match of Copa America 2021, Gustavo Alfaro’s men played three successive draws against Venezuela (2-2), Peru (2-2) and Brazil to finish fourth in Group B. La Tri ended the group stage with three points from four games and finished ahead of fifth-placed Venezuela.

Argentina vs Ecuador head-to-head in football

In Argentina vs Ecuador head-to-head record in international football, La Albiceleste have a clear edge in the fixture, winning 21 of the 36 matches played between these two South American nations. Meanwhile, Ecuador have secured just five wins against Argentina while 10 matches have ended in a draw.

In the last meeting between the two sides, Argentina claimed a 1-0 win in the World Cup 2022 qualifier game held last year, courtesy their talisman Lionel Messi’s goal from the penalty spot.

Argentina team news and injury updates

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has no injury and suspension concerns ahead of the high-profile encounter against Ecuador. Atalanta centre-back Cristian Romero and PSG midfielder Angel Di Maria have recovered from their knocks and they will be available for the quarter-final clash. 

Ecuador team news and injury updates

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo is racing against time to be fit for the marquee clash against Argentina. The 19-year-old was stretchered off the pitch against Brazil in their last group fixture. Apart from Caicedo, Ecuador have a fully-fit squad to pick their best team for the Copa America 2021 quarter-final.

Where to watch Argentina vs Ecuador live in India?

The Argentina vs Ecuador quarter-final match of Copa America 2021 will be telecast live at 6:30 AM IST on SONY TEN 2 HD and SONY TEN 2 SD TV channels in India, on Sunday, July 4. The match can also be viewed on Sony Ten 4, Sony Six and their HD channels in regional languages. 

Live streaming of Argentina vs Ecuador match will be available on SonyLIV and JioTV.

Featured photo: Twitter/Argentina

The Argentina national football team will take on Paraguay in a Group A match of Copa America 2021 at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brazil on Tuesday, June 22.

Led by their talisman Lionel Messi, the La Albiceleste bounced back strongly from their disappointing 1-1 draw against Chile to secure a 1-0 win against Uruguay on Friday, June 18.

With four points from two games, Argentina are currently the table-toppers in Group A, and they will look to book their place in the Copa America knockout stages with a win against Paraguay. 

On the other hand, Paraguay started their Copa America 2021 campaign emphatically with a 3-1 humbling of Bolivia. Under the tutelage of Eduardo Berizzo, the La Albirroja will look to pull off an upset in their second Group A encounter. Watch Argentina vs Paraguay live in India!

Argentina vs Paraguay head-to-head in football

In the Argentina vs Paraguay head-to-head record in International football, the La Albiceleste have dominated the fixture, winning 58 of the 108 matches between the two sides. Meanwhile, Paraguay secured just 16 wins in those encounters. Interestingly, the La Albirroja have never beaten Argentina in 22 meetings in Copa America.

Argentina team news and injury updates

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to make several changes to the starting XI that will take to the field against Paraguay on Tuesday. Midfielder Gio Lo Celso has a swollen left ankle, and he is likely to be replaced by either Leandro Paredes or Exequiel Palacios.

Furthermore, Angel Di Maria will replace Nicolas Gonzalez after the 23-year-old forward received a knock in their last fixture against Uruguay.

It is rumoured that Lautaro Martinez’s poor form could see new Barcelona signing Sergio Aguero take up his place in the playing XI. With 98 caps to his name, Aguero played the final 10 minutes of the 1-1 draw against Chile and is gearing up for his first Argentina start since November 2019.

Paraguay team news and injury updates

Paraguay head into the high-profile clash against Argentina with no injuries and suspensions. Head coach Eduardo Berizzo have a fully-fit squad to select his best playing XI.

Where to watch Argentina vs Paraguay live in India?

Argentina vs Paraguay Copa America 2021 match will be telecast live at 5:30 AM IST on SONY TEN 2 HD and SONY TEN 2 SD TV channels in India, on Tuesday, June 22.

Live streaming of Argentina vs Paraguay match will be available on SonyLIV and Jio TV.

Featured photo: Twitter/Argentina

Football can be a funny game at times. Yesterday’s heroes can become tomorrow’s villains in the blink of an eye. In the constantly changing landscape of the beautiful game, a lot can happen inside a week. Players who are established stars can fall by the wayside in a matter of days with their former successes and triumphs becoming nothing more than a footnote in their present. Here, we take a look at a few individuals who joined Premier League clubs with massive reputations but failed to deliver on their promise.

Fernando Torres

The Spanish striker was a phenomenon during his time as Liverpool’s leading striker. He used to terrorize opposition defences regularly during his time in Merseyside, scoring 81 goals and making 16 assists across all competitions as a Red. However, ambitions to win the Premier League and Champions League titles prompted him to join Chelsea in shock January transfer worth 50 million pounds in 2011. And while he did enjoy a Champions League and an FA Cup success, his time with the Blues was underwhelming, to put it mildly. A shadow of his former self with Chelsea, Torres frequently missed gilt-edged chances and finished his career in west London with 45 goals in 172 appearances.

Andy Carroll

Torres leaving for Chelsea forced Liverpool to replace him with Andy Carroll in a deal worth 35 million pounds. Carroll, though, never really managed to settle at the Merseyside outfit and struggled to rediscover the form that he had shown while at Newcastle United. The towering target man wasn’t helped by injuries either, which disrupted him from ever getting a proper run of games. In the end, Carroll managed to score just six goals in 44 league games, which was enough to convince Liverpool to cut their loses and sell him to West Ham United for 15 million pounds in the summer of 2013.

Angel Di Maria

Fresh off the back of a UEFA Champions League winning campaign with Real Madrid, Angel Di Maria was one of the most sought-after players in Europe in the summer of 2014. The Man of the Match in Champions League final was transfer-listed by Los Blancos despite his heroics and Manchester United swooped in to secure his services in a deal worth 59.7 million pounds. Di Maria began life well in the Premier League but soon began to struggle and unsettling off-field distractions only made things worse. Desperate to leave United in the following summer after losing his first-team spot, the Argentine left Old Trafford for Paris Saint-Germain after notching three goals and 10 assists in the Premier League in his only season with United.

• Reguilon joining Spurs is the latest flashpoint between United and Madrid

Alvaro Morata

Alvaro Morata joined Chelsea in a deal worth 60 million pounds in 2017 and it initially looked like money well-spent thanks to his good start to life at Stamford Bridge. He even scored a hat-trick for the Blues in a resounding 4-0 win over Stoke City, but the ultra-competitive nature of the Premier League soon began to catch up with the Spaniard. Things began to fall apart for him because of a combination of injuries and his failure to finish off relatively easy chances. After being dropped from the team and seeing his game time reduced, Morata joined Atletico Madrid in 2019 having netted 16 goals and provided six assists in the Premier League for Chelsea.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea’s biggest flop till date, though, is still on their books and is occupying the unforgiving position of being their first-choice goalkeeper. Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in a deal worth 71.6 million pounds �?a record price for a goalkeeper. Perhaps the price tag has weighed heavily on the Spaniard as he’s endured an extremely difficult spell at west London filled with goalkeeping errors and an inability to save shots. He made more errors and saved fewer shots than any other first-choice goalkeeper in the Premier League last season. The new campaign has already seen him making two mistakes in the two first two gameweeks and with his confidence now looking completely shattered, it’s difficult to see how he turns things around in England.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Andrew Yates

When Paris Saint-Germain line up against Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League on Sunday night, they will be aware of it being their best chance to win the coveted trophy that all European clubs yearn for.

The Champions League, in fact, has been a holy grail for the Parisian club ever since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took charge of ownership. Desperate to be a part of European football’s elite by winning the ultimate prize in continental club competition, PSG stand one step away from their objective.

After being bought by QSI in 2011, PSG made their ambitions known right away. They immediately roped in superstars like Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their bid to become European heavyweights and the players did their part, helping the club win four consecutive Ligue 1 titles.

PSG’s massive budget saw them continuously add household names like Thiago Motta, Edinson Cavani, David Luiz and Angel Di Maria, to name a few. These additions to the squad made them untouchable in France’s top-flight and domestic cups but European success was still proving hard to come by.

Playing with the backdrop of a lack of history as well as experience in the Champions League, PSG’s first few campaigns in Europe’s top club competition witnessed them struggle to make an impact even though they were the perennial favourites to win the French League.

PSG's neighbourly humilation

Experts pointed at their lack of competition and intensity in Ligue 1 as a reason behind their European struggles but French outfit Monaco’s campaign in the 2016-17 season, when they made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League, left the side from the French capital a bit red-faced and embarrassed.

The club responded by being aggressive in the transfer market again and securing the services of Monaco’s talisman and teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe, who helped Les Monégasques to the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League semis in the previous season.

Mbappe wasn’t their only superstar addition in that transfer window. The acquisition of Neymar in a record �?22 million transfer from Barcelona, after the Brazilian star had helped knock out PSG in the previous season in a memorable 6-5 aggregate win, was supposed to be a statement to the rest of Europe.

However, while they have continued to dominate Ligue 1, Champions League success proved to be elusive even with the addition of Mbappe and Neymar. In fact, prior to the ongoing season, PSG had failed to make it beyond the quarter-final of Champions League in any of their campaigns.

Following their 5-6 aggregate loss against a Neymar-inspired Barcelona in 2017 and their subsequent signing of the Brazilian, PSG lost 2-5 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the round-of-16 in the next season. The subsequent campaign saw them exit by virtue of away goals against an under-strength Manchester United in the round-of-16.

This season, though, gave them their best opportunity yet to win the object of their heart’s desire. After topping their group and edging Borussia Dortmund in the round-of-16, PSG had to play one-off knockout matches in the quarter-final and semi-final of the competition due to the curtailed nature of the season as a result of the pandemic.

Needless to say, with a team decked with quality and world-class talents all over the pitch, the odds were always going to be tilted in their favour considering the number of match-winners in PSG. Add to that, the struggles of most of Europe’s traditional elite this season, leading to matches against Atalanta in the quarters and RB Leipzig in the semis respectively, and it’s easy to see why they made the final without much consternation.

UCL still a bridge too far for PSG? 

That said, the final hurdle in their path is a pretty high one in five-time Champions League winners Bayern Munich. PSG, though, will back themselves to overcome the German favourites and finally establish themselves amongst Europe’s elite.

And why shouldn’t they? With players like Neymar, Di Maria and Mbappe in the team, confidence and belief won’t be an issue. How they deal with their nerves and pressure of such an occasion will be interesting to see but PSG know that personnel in their squad won’t be a problem.

Players like Di Maria and Neymar have both won the Champions League in the past, while World Cup winner Mbappe has also shown his mantle in big matches. What’s going to matter is how individuals perform on the day and PSG would do well to remember that this will be their best shot at European glory with the pathways to the final unlikely to be as accommodating as it was during the season gone by.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Ramos

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

On Sunday, August 23, the record Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich, will aim to become only the second club to win the European Treble in multiple seasons when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in this year’s UEFA Champions League final at Estádio da Luz in Portugal.

Note that it is only the first time in 44 years - or in fact, the second time in the tournament’s history - that a team from Germany is squaring off against a French side in the final of the European Cup/Champions League. The last time? It was Bayern Munich taking on Saint-Étienne in the 1976 final, and a goal Franz Roth was enough for the Bavarians to lift the European Cup for the third season running.

And well, if they do get the better of the Parisians on Sunday, they will become the first-ever team to win all of their Champions League games of the season. As things stand, they remain on par with AC Milan, who like Bayern, won each of their UCL games till the final in the 1992/93 season. Ironically, it was the French side, Marseille, which ended their run in the final.

Flick’s Flip

Hansi Flick, once an understudy of Joachim Low at the German national team, was roped in by Bayern as a caretaker after Nico Kovac was relieved off his duties in November. And the surge in form since has been revitalizing, to say the least. Playing under the 55-year-old, the 30-time German champions have found a perfect symmetry between youth and experience. 

40 - FC Bayern München are only the fourth team in Champions League history to reach 40 goals in a single campaign, along with Barcelona in 99-00 (45), Real Madrid in 13-14 (41) and Liverpool in 17-18 (41). Ferocious. #UCL pic.twitter.com/j0wnatcCsZ

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 19, 2020

The Bavarians have, in fact, won a whopping 32 of their 35 games under Flick, scoring 115 goals while conceding a mere 26 during the tenure, which translates to almost 3.2 goals per game.

Undefeated in his last 29 games, a game against PSG perhaps remains one of the toughest tasks of his short-term managerial career. The reason? It’s PSG’s astonishing defensive record. While Bayern remain the top scores of this year’s Champions League campaign, having scored 42 goals, PSG have kept things tight at the back, allowing their oppositions to breach the last line a mere five times, keeping seven clean sheets in the process. Up front, 25 goals in the campaign means they are second to Bayern in the competition.

Tuchel harvesting the feast

A 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in the semi-finals means PSG have now scored in 34 consecutive Champions League games, equalling Real Madrid’s tally, which they had set between 2011-2014. And so, a goal in the final, regardless of the result, will see them setting a new record of scoring in most consecutive matches (35) in major UEFA competition.

Considering Bayern’s ruthless record in the competitions this year, Thomas Tuchel’s PSG, who are only the fifth French team to reach the European Cup/Champions League final, are duly the underdogs heading into the game. On the brisk of becoming the first French side to win the UEFA Champions League since 1993, expect them to rely heavily on a certain Angel Di Maria.

110 - @PSG_English have reached their first ever European Cup/Champions League final; this was their 110th game in the competition - the most played by a side before reaching their first final, overtaking Arsenal's record of 90 between 1971-2006. Finally. #RBLPSG pic.twitter.com/vREUq2qYrX

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 18, 2020

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United winger has scored three goals and has provided six assists (a contribution of nine goals) in the competition this year, which is now his best return in a single season since the 2013/14 campaign (three goals, five assists) when he did end up winning the title with Real Madrid. The Argentine, in fact, is unbeaten in all of his 17 Champions League matches he has scored in. On a bigger picture, the 32-year-old has provided 26 assists in the last ten seasons of the competition, with only Cristiano Ronaldo sitting ahead with 28.

Tuchel, since arriving in France, has had his fair share of lows, including a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the round of 16 in 2019, but has since grown from strength to strength. After the Ligue 1 was ended prematurely due to the global pandemic, PSG headed into the Champions League on the back of a solitary competitive game since March. But despite the initial suggestions of lack of match fitness, Tuchel did amazing in keeping up with sharpness, as Di Maria, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have combined swiftly in recent times. 

Bayern Munich and PSG operate on two contrary principles, but both stand only a step off of winning the treble. Will this battle of two German coaches culminate in the Parisians scripting history or will the Bavarians add the sixth star to their European conquest? It’s only a matter of hours to see.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Rafael Marchante, Franck Fife

The No.7 jersey at Manchester United has an iconic status. Over the years, some of the greatest of the greatest have donned the shirt and have written their names in the club’s folklore, having led the Red Devils to glory.

From legends such as Nobby Stiles, George Best, Bryan Robson, to Premier League greats like Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, the No.7 shirt at Manchester United has been passed onto some of the finest in the history of the game.

In recent years though, the players that have worn the No.7 jersey have struggled to live up to the standards set by their predecessors, somewhat tarnishing the legacy of the legendary shirt in the process.

Since Ronaldo’s departure in 2009, five players have been handed the No.7 shirt, but none of them have been able to do justice to the reputation of the jersey.

Read | AC Milan and the curse of the No.9 shirt

Immediately after Ronaldo was allowed to leave, former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker, Michael Owen was given the No.7 shirt. 

While the former England international had his moments, most notably the injury-time winner in the Manchester derby, he was hardly able to carry forward the legacy of the No. 7 successfully. In his three years at United, Owen wore the No.7 shirt and managed 52 appearances overall, bagging just 17 goals.

Post Owen’s departure in 2013, Antonio Valencia was handed the number after a fine 2011/12 season. While there was no denying the Ecuadorian’s commitment to the cause, he hardly managed to excel wearing the iconic jersey. 

Valencia just managed one goal in 40 appearances during the 2012/13 campaign. Early into the next term, the Ecuadorian decided to vacate the No.7 jersey, as the pressure got to him.

The following summer, when Angel Di Maria signed for Manchester United, fans believed that they had found the true successor to Ronaldo, who can carry forward the torch. And the kind of start the Argentine enjoyed at Old Trafford showed that the supporters weren’t wrong in putting their faith in the former Real Madrid man.

Read | How can Manchester United line up with both Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba

However, things unravelled soon enough as Di Maria struggled for form and confidence in the second half of the season, with United’s then manager, Louis van Gaal playing him out of position constantly. Eventually, only a year after he signed, Di Maria left Manchester United after 32 matches, in which he managed just four goals, although he did assist 12 more.

The following summer, another big-money player arrived in the form of Memphis Depay and started out strongly as well. But he too failed to live up to the expectations much like the ones that he had followed, with his time at Manchester United becoming more memorable for him missing sitters after sitters.

Jose Mourinho’s arrival didn’t help matters for the Netherlands international, managing just seven goals in 53 matches before leaving the club in January 2017.

Read | Things that have happened since a Man Utd player last scored a PL hat-trick

Then came, perhaps the most high-profile victim of the No.7 shirt at Manchester United, the biggest flop to have donned legendary jersey. 

Alexis Sanchez, signed from Arsenal in January 2018, on massive wages, spent a year and a half at the club, producing a paltry return of five goals in 45 matches, before joining Inter Milan on loan last summer. The Chilean playing the piano in his unveiling remains his best performance for the Red Devils till date.

Antonio Valencia had excelled prior to taking over the No.7 shirt and after vacating it. Both Depay and Di Maria have thrived since moving on from Manchester United, while prior to taking over the No.7 at United, Alexis Sanchez was one of the best attackers in the Premier League.

Read | Who could stay or leave this summer? Manchester United’s squad assessed

It all indicates towards the fact that the pressure of living up to the expectations and the responsibilities that come with Manchester United’s No.7 shirt perhaps got too much. 

The fact that an ageing Michael Owen, in the twilight years of his career, was the most prolific No.7 for United since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2009 is a testament to the club’s struggles to find a suitable successor and carry forward the legacy of the iconic jersey. 

In many ways, it is symptomatic of the problems with the club’s transfer policies in recent years, especially since Ed Woodward took over the reins of the transfer handlings.

Jadon Sancho’s potential arrival at Old Trafford this summer is being seen as the signing that will bring an end to this curse. But will the England international join, will he finally be able to get rid of the hex, or become the next high-profile victim of Manchester United’s famed No.7 shirt?