Arsenal to hand Kieran Tierney vital new role next season

Calum Chambers Also Set for Arsenal Leadership Role

What Luiz, Xhaka and Lacazette have on their side is a wealth of experience. These are players in and around the latter stages of their careers, with hundreds of appearances to their names and some of whom who’ve played on the biggest stage of all.

As for Bellerin, nobody knows the club better than him and when he departs, Mohamed Elneny will become the second longest serving player in north London…. Elneny!

The only player who has been at the club longer than the Spaniard is Calum Chambers. A name who back in November wasn’t even considered for the team let alone someone who would have such an impact. He’s cemented his place as the starting Premier League right-back after battling back from a horror injury, and with the option of a year extension on his contract is set to stay around for longer.

Arsenal are actively pursuing a first choice starter – who they need – for that position but were they not able to source who they wanted then the club could do worse than Chambers. Not elite by any stretch of the imagination, his standing as an ‘Arsenal man’ makes him an important member of the dressing room and there is no reason to shift him on (he’s also not half bad).

Other than him, Pablo Mari is the other likely candidate to come in and take on more responsibility behind the scenes. Able to communicate with Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel, two huge pieces of the club’s future, in their native Portuguese helps with this.

He’s also experienced, albeit not at the top level, and cuts a composed and commanding figure on the pitch which may transpire into the training ground.

Aubameyang, Holding, Chambers, Tierney and Mari is not the most inspiring ‘leadership’ core ever, even if there are players there with a strong understanding of what it means to done the red and white. With potentially four senior heads departing this summer, the need for natural authority in the transfer market becomes more clear. Finding those players at the right price and the right age is no easy task.

However, with that group, they’re certainly likable. They’re five players the fans have taken to and if they can become the backbone of the side behind the scenes then they already have the support of those in the terraces.