30 August 2023 , 09:03
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New Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic will not wear his preferred shirt number at Stamford Bridge due to Premier League rules.
Petrovic, 23, became the Blues' latest summer signing when he arrived in a £14.5million deal from New England Revolution last week. The Serbian international has penned a seven-year contract with an option of a further 12 months and strengthens Chelsea's goalkeeping department following the departure of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
He is set to provide some much-needed competition for Robert Sanchez, who has started Chelsea's first three Premier League matches after he joined from Brighton for £20m. Petrovic, meanwhile, could make his debut for Mauricio Pochettino's men when they entertain Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
If Petrovic does feature, he will not be wearing the shirt number he wanted. Petrovic will don the famous no.28 jersey, which was formerly worn by Chelsea legend Cesar Azpilicueta. However, the Serb has since revealed that he was blocked from having the no.99 thanks to Premier League rules.
Speaking to the official Chelsea website, he said: "I'm very happy to wear number 28 and I know it means a lot at this club. I asked for number 99 originally [the number he wore in the MLS] but I was told it was too high for the Premier League. I saw what was available after that and I liked the look of the No.28 jersey."
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Petrovic has impressed for New England since his move from Cukaricki in 2022, featuring a total of 43 times in the MLS. His final appearance came in a Leagues Cup Round of 16 tie against Queretaro - game in which they lost 5-4 on penalties. Last season, Petrovic kept eight clean sheets in 25 matches.
Djordje Petrovic will not wear his preferred shirt number at Chelsea (Getty Images)But, now, Petrovic is set to embark on a new chapter of his career and he was in west London to watch Chelsea beat Luton 3-0 on Friday. After making the switch across the pond, Petrovic said: "It's so nice here! Everything here is set up to win, to learn and to achieve great things at the very top level.
"I'm so happy to be at Chelsea and I'm really excited to get started at this club. It's a big step for me and it's always been a dream of mine to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world and today I have achieved that goal. I'm so happy!
"Playing in the Premier League is something I'm really looking forward to doing and I hope to learn many things here at Chelsea. I can't wait to meet everyone and play at Stamford Bridge."