Liverpool’s No. 9 shirt may not boast the reverence of Manchester United’s No. 7 or Barcelona’s No. 10, but it has been donned by an array of greats.
Ian Rush, Fernando Torres, Robbie Fowler and Roberto Firmino all evolved into Anfield icons with the figure on their backs, and everyone associated with the club was desperate for the loveable Darwin Nuñéz to embark on a similar journey.
The agent of chaos departs Merseyside this summer, having failed to live up to his then club-record fee, but says that his three years with the club "will always be part" of who he is. Nuñéz’s exit means Liverpool currently have a significant void on the shirt number front, with the sought-after No. 9 now vacant.
The obvious candidate to succeed Nuñéz isn’t yet on the club’s books, and Liverpool will surely wait to see how that saga plays out before handing the No. 9 to anyone else.
Here are the leading candidates to wear the Reds’ No. 9 shirt for 2025–26.






