Chelsea striker ditches the ‘cursed’ number 9 shirt – here’s his new number

• Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata changes his shirt number from 9 to 29.
• Morata claims that it is a tribute to his newly born twin sons.
• READ MORE: Chelsea midfielder may not be here next season

This is weird. Really weird.

Alvaro Morata has ditched the number 9 shirt. The Spaniard will head into the 2018/19 campaign with the number 29 on his back.

This news was announced on Friday afternoon, with the release of an image of Morata holding his new shirt aloft coinciding with it.

Alvaro Morata will wear the number 29 shirt for Chelsea in the 2018/19 season. pic.twitter.com/aDBolZMAye

— TweetChelseaUK (@TweetChelseaUK) August 3, 2018

On the club’s website, it’s claimed that Morata changed his shirt number to pay tribute to the birth of his twin sons, Alessandro and Leonardo.

Morata apologises to fans who have already bought this season’s shirt with his name and previous number on the back. Though, Chelsea are offering an exchange for those with proof of purchase.

This has come entirely out of the blue, but at least he’s now free of the curse of the number 9. When he decided to take the shirt upon his arrival last summer, Chelsea fans gasped collectively.

After a disappointing debut campaign, perhaps the ‘curse’ was inflicted upon Morata. We’ll see this coming season if he can perform with 29 on his back.