Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike rock unusual digits: The truth behind Liverpool’s new signings’ pre-season sky-high kit numbers

It’s been a summer of big moves and bold changes at Anfield, with Liverpool ushering in a new era under manager Arne Slot. While supporters are buzzing with excitement over marquee signings such as Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, one oddity has sparked confusion and curiosity in equal measure — the unusually high shirt numbers worn by Liverpool’s new arrivals during pre-season.

During the pre-season tour of Asia, several of Liverpool’s newest stars have been seen wearing squad numbers in the high 50s and 60s — numbers rarely seen on a Premier League pitch. Hugo Ekitike, for example, has been seen with No. 54; Florian Wirtz is currently wearing No. 58, while Jeremie Frimpong has been handed No. 59. Goalkeepers Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, and Armin Pecsi have been given numbers 56, 55, and 60, respectively. Milos Kerkez, another new arrival, is wearing No. 57.

The reason behind these inflated numbers is both practical and commercial. “Liverpool have handed their summer signings unusually high shirt numbers during their pre-season fixtures, with the club yet to finalize its official squad list for the 2025-26 campaign,” one report from DaveOCKOP explained.

With the club’s highly anticipated Adidas kit deal set to begin on August 1, 2025, official squad numbers will only be revealed once the new kits hit the shelves. Until then, Liverpool is contractually obligated to wear their Nike kits, which has delayed the final shirt number announcements.

Adidas deal, new fonts, and confused fans

The temporary kit situation hasn’t gone unnoticed — especially since Liverpool’s Asian pre-season kits feature unusual fonts, with one so faint that it’s nearly unreadable on camera. “Liverpool is wearing unique fonts for their Asian pre-season games, with one being virtually invisible,” noted Footy Headlines in their kit coverage.

Behind the scenes, the club is preparing for a branding overhaul, with the Adidas launch expected to include final squad number reveals and fan merchandise releases. The plan is to align shirt number announcements with kit availability, making the shirts instantly purchasable with accurate printing when the store opens on launch day.

What numbers will Wirtz and Frimpong wear officially?

Though temporary numbers dominate for now, leaks and online updates suggest the permanent numbers are already known. According to the Premier League’s official website, Florian Wirtz will don the No. 27 shirt, a number previously worn by Darwin Nunez and Divock Origi.

However, some reports indicate the German international may go even bigger. “Florian Wirtz is set to take on Liverpool’s iconic number 7 shirt ahead of the start of the new season,” claims DaveOCKOP, referencing the number vacated by Luis Diaz, who moved to Bayern Munich.

Frimpong, meanwhile, is expected to take the No. 30 jersey — the same number he wore at both Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen. “He’ll become the first player in a decade to don No.30 for the reigning Premier League champions,” the report highlighted.