'Fits the bill': Paul Merson thinks £120,000-a-week defender will be the new Arsenal captain ahead of Tierney
Paul Merson has claimed that he thinks Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will name Ben White as the new Gunners captain ahead of Martin Odegaard and Kieran Tierney.
Arsenal have had one problem or another with all their captains over the last few years. Laurent Koscielny forced his way out of the club, while Granit Xhaka had a huge outburst against the fans at the Emirates.
Then, it was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s turn, and the Gabon star was stripped of his captaincy in December, before being pushed out of the club in February.
Arsenal need to get their next appointment right, and just when it seemed like Odegaard or Tierney are the frontrunners for the armband, Merson has come out and said that he believes it will be White.
Paul Merson: I think Ben White will be the next Arsenal captain
After Aubameyang’s departure, the Arsenal captaincy was handed over to Alexandre Lacazette, and the Frenchman wore the armband every time he was on the pitch. Now that he’s gone, Merson thinks £120,000-a-week White is the next one in line.
He wrote on Sportskeeda: “I thought Alexandre Lacazette would kick on after Aubameyang left, but he didn’t really get going. He’s a much better player than his performances this season have shown him to be.
“Arsenal will have to pick a new captain next season, and I think it’ll probably be Ben White.
“They need a player who can lead on the pitch with his performances, and White fits the bill.”
TBR View:
With Lacazette gone, Arsenal have to name a new club captain before the start of next season, and Arteta has a few options to choose from.
Odegaard donned the armband in the final few games of last season, and he would be a great option. The Norwegian plays almost every game and is the captain of his country as well.
Tierney is another one and the Scotsman is a real leader. He has captained Celtic before and he is viewed by everyone at Arsenal as a model professional.
White seems to be Merson’s pick for the role, and it wouldn’t be a bad appointment at all. However, it’s unlikely that he will get the nod over Odegaard or Tierney, in our opinion.
