Premier League stop Renato Sanches from wearing number 85 at Swansea

Star Swansea City signing Renato Sanches will not be allowed to wear the number 85 shirt after an intervention by the Premier League.

Euro 2016 winner Sanches joined Swansea on a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich on deadline day, delighting fans of Paul Clement’s side.

The 20-year-old had been announced as the club’s number 85, which was the same number he wore at old club Benfica and would have been the English top-flight’s highest number in history.

But instead he will wear 35, the same as he had at Bayern last season, after the Premier League enforced a rule.

It was all going so well…

The #PL reject the number 85 for @renatosanches35. He will now wear for the #Swans this season. pic.twitter.com/Lx7qWmkHOF

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) August 31, 2017

Swansea wrote on Twitter: “The Premier League reject the number 85 for Renato Sanches. He will now wear 35 for the Swans this season.

“The Premier League rule that squad numbers must be consecutive and close to the current highest number.”

The Welsh club then joked: “We’re still going ahead with the transfer!”

Sanches had been linked to a host of Europe’s top clubs in the transfer window as he looks to re-build his career after a poor first year with Bayern.

After joining Carlo Ancelotti’s men for an initial €35million fee that could reach €80m if all add-ons are achieved, he only started six Bundesliga matches in 2016-17.

Prior to his move, he was named Young Player of the Tournament when Portugal won the Euros last year.