Last weekend, Aaron Ramsey was handed the captain's armband against Boreham Wood in a friendly. Coupled with speculation of Vermaelen leaving the club, he's recently been linked to Manchester United and Barcelona, Arsene Wenger may be looking at his next captaincy options. In this article, I will be looking at who Wenger may give the armband to next.
The first option is Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's current vice captain. He is a former Everton captain and led out Arsenal many times last season, including in the FA Cup final. In that respect he has experience of leading the team. But,it could be said the Arteta was a liability last season and if Wenger addresses the midfield problem then Arteta may not play at all, and we'll have a captain like Vermaelen again.
Another option is Per Mertesacker. He has previously captained Werder Bremen,and he has also captained Arsenal and Germany on a few occasions. Mertesacker plays week in week out for Arsenal and he has taken the lead at times Arteta didn't, making him, in many peoples opinion, a ideal candidate.
Aaron Ramsey is another player touted to become captain. He captained Wales from the age of 20, so he has that previous experience. Ramsey plays every week when he is fit and Wenger believed in him, even when the fans didn't. He was by far Arsenal's best player last season and he is still young and will be able to grow into the role, like Fabregas. Some say Ramsey would be a surprise choice, but it may not be.
The final candidate is Jack Wilshere. This would be a highly controversial choice, after his recent off the field antics, but some are saying he may be Arsenal's answer to a new Tony Adams. He has no previous captaincy experience and isn't a guaranteed starter in the team, but he's young and may be seen as a captain for the future.