Jamie Carragher comments on Arsenal captaincy contenders

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Jamie Carragher has told Sky Sports that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz should be contenders for the Arsenal captaincy – but admitted that he would want neither player as skipper.

Granit Xhaka infuriated many Gunners fans with his actions while being substituted at the weekend. And it remains to be seen whether Unai Emery will decide to take the captaincy off the Swiss in the wake of the incident.

There has been a lot of debate about whether Xhaka should continue as captain – and who should succeed him if he is stripped of the armband.

Interestingly, Carragher suggested that he actually feels that Xhaka probably was the best candidate as he expressed concerns about two names who will surely be in the mix if a change is made.

“There is no one else in the squad that has more captain material, although I don’t think he’s the greatest player, he’s had a poor season,” he told Sky Sports. “Sometimes, if you’re struggling to pick a captain, you give it to the best player, in which case, give it to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

“David Luiz is not my cup of tea as a player, but he is a leader in some ways. He’s got a big personality. I can imagine the younger lads in the dressing room looking up at him. He’s a big character, he’s won big things, he’s played at big clubs, with Brazil in World Cups, so he could be an option.

“So those two, really… but I wouldn’t want either as captain to be honest!”

Emery is in a tricky position. With the players voting for Xhaka to be captain, he will be wary of upsetting them by making a change. However, it feels as though plenty of fans do not want Xhaka to continue as skipper.

Appointing someone like Aubameyang would probably be a popular decision with the supporters. He has been an outstanding signing for the Gunners. And, unlike Xhaka, there are no questions about whether he deserves a place in the team.

Of course, Emery may be wary of appointing Aubameyang. The last thing Arsenal need is for the added responsibility to hurt his own form. He has scored almost half of the Gunners’ goals in the Premier League this term.

And there is no question – if a change is imminent – that Emery probably cannot afford for the next appointment to not work out.