Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is the leading contender to be Arsenal’s new captain in the wake of Laurent Koscielny’s likely departure. The Frenchman chose not to attend the club’s pre-season tour of America and looks set to depart after nine years in north London, with several teams in his homeland understood to be interested.
With Petr Cech retiring and Aaron Ramsey leaving on a free transfer for Juventus, it means there are already two players missing from last season’s five-man captaincy group and Unai Emery may revert to having one skipper for the 2019/20 season should Koscielny also exit the Emirates Stadium.
Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal have also worn the armband in the past but their futures are also in some doubt, leaving Xhaka as the main candidate. And, the manager says the Swiss midfielder has the credentials, along with others, to be the team’s on-field leader. Asked if he will once again name five captains for the season, Emery said: “We spoke a little about that. Last year we had Laurent, Petr Cech and Aaron Ramsey.
“At the moment Koscielny has a contract with us but we’ll speak with the club and him about if he will continue or not. We have players with the capacity [to be captain], one is Granit, he was a captain in the dressing room. “We have others like Mesut, Nacho. There are other players who can take this position also. I want between three and five captains in the team.”
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