Well, Arsenal have officially appointed a new captain.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed on Wednesday that Alexandre Lacazette had been chosen as the club’s new skipper.
Lacazette had been wearing the armband on an interim basis following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being stripped of the honour back in December over disciplinary issues.
And the former Lyon hitman has been unveiled as his long-term successor.
Well, perhaps not that long term.
That’s because the 30-year-old striker is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium outfit this summer and, having netted only three Premier League goals all season, may not be staying beyond June.
However, Lacazette has been speaking up his Arsenal teammates’ chances of leading the North Londoners one day.
And among the apparent leaders in Arteta’s squad is Albert Sambi Lokonga.
The Belgium international joined Arsenal for £17 million last summer.
And Lacazette believes that the 22-year-old midfielder is one of those who could potentially be awarded the armband at some point in the future.
He told the club’s official website: “Sambi Lokonga, but he’s already been a captain in the past so it’s not hard to say he can be a good captain.”
Not the best candidate
Lacazette also touted Kieran Tierney, the left-back signed from Celtic in 2019.
And honestly, the Scot is probably the best long-term option at the Emirates.
Everything about the Scotland international stinks of leadership and having played alongside the legendary Scott Brown in Glasgow for four years, he’ll have learned a hell of a lot about the overall responsibility.
Lokonga might have leadership credentials too, but the fact is that Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are ahead of him in the pecking order.
And your club captain, by default, has to be a first-team regular who’s guaranteed to make the starting lineup virtually every single week.
And potential side, the former Anderlecht powerhouse isn’t at that level just yet.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
