Charlie Nicholas reckons there is no standout candidate to be Arsenal's next captain as Mikel Arteta looks to find Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's successor.
The Gabon international was stripped off his armband last month and has been out of the side ever since - indicating his time in north London is coming to an end.
Alexandre Lacazette has taken the armband on an interim basis, but his future is also up in the air with his contract set to expire in the summer.
It's claimed Gabriel, Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale are the three leading contenders to take the captaincy after emerging as leaders this season.
Arteta has not made a decision yet and it might not happen until next season, but former Arsenal striker reckons Ramsdale and White are not suited to the role despite their brilliant form this season.
Speaking to MyBettingSites, he said: "Aaron Ramsdale shouldn’t be Arsenal’s captain because he’s a goalkeeper. His character has been absolutely spot on and it’s been a real treat.
"He arrived with a lot of doubters because of his price tag but he’s ambitious, hungry and wants to prove that he belongs here. He’s been first class for Arsenal, has the captain's instinct and he’s an organiser. That's a positive Arsenal can build on.
“Ben White has real quality and he’s going to be a top player for the Gunners, but in his interviews, it comes across as though he’s not fussed about being the main man. He’s quite soft in his approach to the game off the pitch and that’s just the kind of person he is.
Nicholas recons Tierney would be a "natural captain" but concedes there is no standout player to take the armband.
He added: “Kieran Tierney is a competitive individual. He’s dedicated and does what he’s asked to do for the team. Six weeks ago, Nuno Tavares was playing so well that it looked like Tierney would struggle to get back into the side but now he’s cemented his position again. Kieran Tierney would be a natural captain.
“This has been a problem previously for Arsenal. Unai Emery let players decide the captaincy but that shouldn’t happen, coaches simply must decide. Club captains don’t need to be the nicest or most popular guy in the dressing room.
“Nice guys will try and keep everybody happy, and that’s not what you need. They must have a competitive edge, there must be fallouts. That’s why Alexandre Lacazette has been a good captain.
“Thomas Partey has taken a while to get himself fit. He has quality and that’s the position I would like the captain to be, but he’s not that type of player. Arsenal have an issue with that position and in the summer, that’s one they’ll address. They might look to move Granit Xhaka on and replace him with someone who has leadership qualities.
“There’s no standout option at Arsenal for club captain.”
