Alexandre Lacazette Tells Arteta Who Could Replace Him As Captain Of Arsenal Following His Departure.

 When it comes to picking the next Arsenal captain, Mikel Arteta may be spoilt for choice, as a number of new hopefuls have arisen to fight Kierney and Martin Odegaard for the position.

Although it was always supposed to be a short-term solution, the Gunners boss entrusted Alexandre Lacazette to captain the team for the duration of the 2021/22 season.

Lacazette was appointed as Gunners skipper after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club to join Barcelona in February. But Lacazette's current contract is set to expire in June and he is therefore free to talk to other clubs about signing a pre-contract agreement.

The Gunners released a statement confirming that the Frenchman will depart later this month. It read: "Alex Lacazette will be leaving us at the end of his current contract, which runs until June 30. Since joining us from Lyon in July 2017, Laca made 206 appearances in all competitions, scoring 71 goals."

And with confirmation that the Frenchman is leaving Arsenal at the end of the month, not only does Arteta have to bring in a striker as a replacement - amid interest in Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus - but he will also have to name Lacazette's successor with regards to the captaincy going into the 2022/23 season.

Mikel Arteta's young side are in need of leadership to steer them and the Spaniard will be needing to appoint a 14th captain of the Premier League era for Arsenal. 

Tierney, who has been promoted to vice-captain, appears to be the frontrunner to succeed Lacazette, with Arteta already hinting that the Scotland international is next in line. However, the left-concerning back's injury record raises doubts about whether he would be the best pick.

Tierney didn't get a chance to captain the team after Lacazette was dropped, first after testing positive for Covid-19, and then owing to Eddie Nketiah's strong form.

As a result, Odegaard, who is also the captain of Norway's national team, captained the squad for the final eight games of the season, including matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, putting him firmly in contention for the permanent position.

It's unclear which path Arteta will pursue, but it wouldn't be surprising if Tierney and Odegaard are appointed Arsenal's next captain and vice-captain, respectively - the order of the roles may even vary depending on how last season finished.

Lacazette has tipped Gabriel Magalhaes, Benjamin White, and Albert Sambi Lokonga for major things, so the Spaniard could change his mind.

He told the club's official website, "There are some future captains." "Big Gabi, Gabriel, has presence and leadership in the back." I believe that when he becomes more fluent in English, it will greatly assist him. Ben White is another option; he's a little quieter, but given the way he plays, he has the potential to be a strong leader and, with a little more edge, he could be able to develop.

"Sambi Lokonga, on the other hand, has already served as a captain, so it's safe to say he'll be a fine captain. Kieran, too, because I believe he's been a captain for the national team on a few occasions. Some future captains or leaders can be seen."