Newcastle United risk upsetting Hatem Ben Arfa next week when the new squad numbers are handed out at the club’s Benton base.
New signing Siem de Jong’s preferred number is the 10 shirt which he wore as captain of Ajax before arriving on Tyneside this week.
Only Yohan Cabaye’s old number 4 and number 5 are available as far as 1 to XI is concerned in the squad.
Ben Arfa has donned the number 10 shirt for three seasons and has worn both 10 and 20 during his time at Marseille as well as number 18 at Lyon.
At Newcastle number 20 is currently allocated to Gael Bigirimana but 18 is available.