An Arsenal star has publicly put his name in the hat to become the next club captain after Martin Odegaard.
The Gunners have a settled squad now, don’t they? Mikel Arteta‘s side aren’t at risk of losing anyone, and all the key players at the club look like they will be around for many years.
Odegaard, who is the captain of the club, signed a new contract in September last year, and he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon either.
However, if he does and the Arsenal captaincy is up for grabs, one player is ready to stand up and take the armband.
Arsenal player says he wants to be the next captain after Martin Odegaard
For years, Arsenal were criticised for lacking leaders in their squad.
The latter stages of Arsene Wenger‘s era saw one captain and many others who just refused to take much responsibility. That’s why they were levels below where they are now.
Mikel Arteta made it one of his priorities to change that culture, and after what happened with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he had to give the captain’s armband to someone he could trust.
Martin Odegaard became the chosen one, and the Norway international has done an incredible job for the Gunners over the last few years.
As we said above, Odegaard is going nowhere, but if he does leave at some point in the future, Declan Rice has publicly claimed that he wants to succeed him as the skipper.
The 25-year-old Englishman said, as per the Daily Mail: “When I got to captain West Ham, I was growing in confidence and as a leader. I still see myself going that way.
“There is Martin Odegaard at my club. I’m not thinking about it, but if anything were to ever happen to him, I really would love to put the armband on for Arsenal.”
There are five contenders to become the next Arsenal captain
Martin Odegaard is the main man at Arsenal, and Gunners fans will be hoping that doesn’t change for years to come. The Norwegian is still only 25.
However, if he does decide to move on at some point, Mikel Arteta will have many options to choose from as the next skipper.
Declan Rice has already raised his hand, and he is definitely a candidate. Gabriel Magalhaes has worn the armband on a few occasions, so he’s up there as well.
Arsenal’s two other defenders, Ben White and William Saliba, are real leaders too, and they definitely have the traits you would want from a captain.
The fifth option and one that Arsenal fans would love is Bukayo Saka. Arteta revealed earlier this season that the 22-year-old has been promoted to the leadership group, and the fact that he’s an academy graduate makes him a strong contender too.
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