The role of Arsenal captain is one of the biggest honors in football following in the footsteps of icons such as Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry.
Lacazette is out of contract next year, Xhaka has already lost the armband once, Tierney and Holding are not weekly players while Odegaard and Ramsdale have just joined.
Who will be the next Arsenal’s captain is the question lingering inside every Arsenal supporter. Following Aubameyang’s sacking as Gunner’s skipper, Arteta has to pick who his next leader will be.
However, the difficulty in making the call is summed up by the fact Arteta has resorted to a “leadership group” of several players for now instead of picking an immediate successor.
The current first choice on Arteta’s list is Lacazette. As such, the striker wore the armband in their last match against Southampton and will do so again for Wednesday’s night’s visit to West Ham.
The French forward is unofficially known as Arsenal’s ‘vice-captain’ given the fact he wears the armband when Aubameyang is not on the pitch. Lacazette’s passion for Arsenal is clear to see through his goal celebrations, even when it is his team-mate who has found the net instead of him.
But there are major doubts about the Frenchman’s future in north London, with the striker’s contract ending at the end of the season.
With Granit Xhaka, there was a time he would have been the last option to become Arsenal captain. The Swiss midfielder was appointed club captain by Unai Emery at the start of the 2019-20 season when Laurent Koscielny went on strike to seal a move back to France. But Xhaka’s time as skipper lasted less than half a season.
And, Xhaka has not only earned his place back in Arteta’s first-choice side but has also been given the armband from time to time.
Arteta sees Xhaka as a key player and leader in the dressing room, while the 29-year-old has been handed his country’s captaincy since he was stripped of his Arsenal one. But can Arsenal fans forget what happened before?