The Andalucian outfit had planned to not issue the number ever
again after the player died at the start of last season due to
heart failure.
Puerta's death stunned the city and the football world and as one
last act in his memory, Sevilla had hoped to ensure that nobody
would wear 16 again.
But the RFEF's rules state that clubs must use number 1 to 25 for
their regular squad and that there is no room for maneouvre when it
comes to altering that list.
As a result, David Prieto will don the number 16 next term in
honour of his friend, while the club's newest signings will
immediately fill the spaces left by those that have been sold.