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Really? Manchester City have handed Enzo Fernandez the number that was previously worn by Kevin De Bruyne.

If breaking the British transfer record to sign former Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was not enough, Manchester City then choosing to give him Kevin De Bruyne's shirt number, instead of retiring it even for a short period, says plenty in itself.

Premier League supporters have long found it easy to make that argument, and the Cityzens continue to give them fresh ammunition.

If being the central figure in six English top-flight title triumphs is still not enough to merit a statue, a temporarily retired shirt number, or even a dedicated section at the training ground, then what exactly is?

There will be plenty of irritated Manchester City fans who will insist De Bruyne's legacy has not been damaged, and that he will always be revered regardless of whether another player now wears his shirt number.

But this is about the principle: if you win two PFA Players' Player of the Year awards, six Premier League titles and four Playmaker Awards, all while serving as the cornerstone of City's golden era, then that number belongs to you.

Whether De Bruyne himself is bothered by it or not, this is the kind of respect any serious club should show to the legends who shape its identity.

And before the obvious question comes up: yes, Manchester City are different from other clubs that did not retire the shirt numbers of their own iconic figures, such as Wayne Rooney's 10 or Steven Gerrard's 8.

That is because, in the wider sweep of football history, De Bruyne is closer in stature to the great icons of Liverpool and Manchester United from the 20th century. Besides, 17 is far easier to retire than either of those other numbers.

The club simply does not have the same historical weight as its nearest rivals, and De Bruyne will be remembered as one of the first true Manchester City legends who elevated the club to the level it now continues to build on.

But to hand his number away within two years, and to the first player who wanted it? Not even a cooling-off period, or a decision to pass it on to someone who had earned the right to stand where he stood?

No one is demanding that the Belgian's 17 be kept out of circulation forever — although that would hardly be the worst idea — but to give it to Enzo?

The same Enzo who was disciplined for singing homophobic and racist chants with his national team, who held an anti-Falklands banner in the summer after beating England, and who got himself sent off by turning Pau Cubarsi into Simone Biles in the World Cup final?

The same Enzo who all but pleaded for a move to Real Madrid while at Chelsea, and who was left out of the squad before an FA Cup quarter-final?

What has always stopped Manchester City from being viewed as seriously as their Premier League counterparts is the perception that players go there for money rather than for the badge.

It is the belief that Manchester City, more than their rivals, buy success rather than cultivate it by building a culture and environment that elite players would almost pay to be part of.

That is also why the Manchester club are so often labelled soulless by opposing supporters.

But one thing is certain: the Cityzens have failed to properly honour one of the very few players whom nobody doubts truly loved their club.

If a statue of the Belgian is already being prepared behind the scenes, they had better start carving it a little faster.