Arsenal: 6 candidates to take captaincy after Aubameyang

The decision has been made: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is no longer the captain of Arsenal Football Club. A statement confirmed the news on Tuesday.

Falling foul to another disciplinary breach, not the first known such instance during his time at the club, his removal from the entire squad to face Southampton was the sternest punishment yet.

Arriving late to the North London Derby last season, Aubameyang was still handed a spot on the substitutes bench. That was where he stayed throughout the 2-1 win.

That infraction turned out not to be his first, hence the decision. Having a history of poor punctuality from his Borussia Dortmund days, the latest misdemeanour continues a trend of serial offending and much to his apparent reluctance, Arteta has taken significant action.

6 candidates to take over the Arsenal captaincy after Mikel Arteta strips Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the armband

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of a huge Premier League encounter with West Ham on Wednesday, the manager revealed that the armband duties will fall onto the ‘leadership group’ that is in place at the club.

Alexandre Lacazette will be first choice captain, Granit Xhaka will be the vice-captain, and Rob Holding will be third in line. Who dons the armband will depend on who is on the pitch at the time. But this might not be final.

There is every possibility that none of the trio will be at the club come the end of the season: Lacazette is sure to leave when his contract expires, Xhaka may still prefer to have one final challenge despite his short-term extension, and Holding can only stay content as an infrequent backup for so long.

With the position likely to be reviewed at the end of the season, talk among supporters has already emerged over who could assume the role permanently. Looking across the squad, six candidates stand out aside from the aforementioned ‘leadership group’ to become the new Arsenal captain.

1. Kieran Tierney

Before the latest batch of drama unfolded at Arsenal, and prior to briefly spending time on the bench in place of Nuno Tavares, Kieran Tierney was the outstanding candidate to assume the role once Aubameyang departed.

Last season he captured the supporters’ hearts as he nailed down a regular spot in the team. He showed his commitment on and off the pitch. When the results were poor and the general mood around the club was dire, he never shied away from facing the camera – and being candid doing so.

A battling character, one who wears shorts and a t-shirt in the snow and is no frills attached with his tesco carrier bags and casual dress sense, as inconsequential as these aspects may be they helped endear him to a fanbase who hadn’t seen a man of his ilk at the club for quite some time.

Aided by the fact he’s a fine footballer who isn’t afraid to get stuck into his teammates as much as his opponents on the pitch, he’s one of the standout candidates by supporters to take the armband. A leader by example, and a fine example he sets.

Is his injury record prohibitive? And, is he perhaps slightly too shy to take on the role? These are some of the more prominent concerns.

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