Jeremie Aliadiere is adamant that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta should make Aaron Ramsdale the next club captain, not Kieran Tierney.
The Gunners recently pushed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of the door. The Gabon star was Arsenal’s skipper from November 2019 until he was stripped of his captaincy back in December after a disciplinary breach.
Arteta announced a few days ago that Alexandre Lacazette is the new club captain following Aubameyang’s departure, but that is only temporary. The Frenchman’s contract will expire at the end of this season and it is very likely that he will be allowed to walk away.
Arsenal will then have to appoint a new club captain and Tierney is many fans’ preferred option. However, ex-Gunner Aliadiere thinks the Scotsman is not the right option and has tipped Ramsdale to take over the armband.
Jeremie Aliadiere: Aaron Ramsdale should be the next Arsenal captain, not Tierney
The Frenchman, who spent eight years as an Arsenal player, said on Stadium Astro: “Tierney, he’s been injured a lot of times.
“It’s what player you can get on the team sheet every single game, and know is reliable, rarely gets injured and is going to be first-choice every single game. That’s what you want as your captain.
“For me, Ramsdale (should be the next captain), because I’ve seen this season what a leader he is, on top of being a top goalkeeper and what he’s done on the pitch. From what I hear at the training ground as well, he’s becoming a real leader.
“You’ve seen the reaction that he has had during the game when he’s motivating everybody, when he’s boosting everyone. I think he will be an obvious choice.”
Arsenal’s last three captains have all had their problems with either the board, the manager or the fans. Laurent Koscielny forced his way out of the club by refusing to play, Granit Xhaka lost his armband after his outburst against fans and we already know what happened with Aubameyang.
Arteta has to get this appointment right. The Gunners need someone who will set an example to everyone around him and Ramsdale is a fantastic choice.
However, the £63,000-a-week Englishman has only been at Arsenal for a few months and someone like Tierney, although he has had his injury problems, has been a leader at the club for a lot longer.
It will be interesting to see who Arteta will go with but both Tierney and Ramsdale are great options.
