According to reports, Arsene Wenger could be considering Petr Cech as Arsenal‘s captain for next season.
The Mirror note that current club captain Mikel Arteta is set to retire at the end of the season and take a coaching role at the club, leaving Wenger looking around for a new skipper.
Arteta has made only eight Premier League appearances this season—all of which have come from the bench—and his influence has been greatly reduced this term.
Indeed, Germany centre-back Per Mertesacker has typically worn the armband this season, and it’s reasonable to consider that the defender might be the natural successor for Arteta.
However, according to the tabloid, Wenger is keen for his captain to be present in the starting lineup every week, and as this is no guarantee with Mertesacker, the World Cup winner may be passed over for the armband.
The defender has featured 19 times in the Premier League this term, but as he is set to turn 32 later this year, it remains to be seen how long the stopper can continue to be a key performer in the EPL and the Champions League. Indeed, even this season, Mertesacker’s lack of pace has occasionally left him struggling against pacey opponents, and he was dismissed early into Arsenal’s grudge match against Chelsea after being caught out by Diego Costa.
Cech has been a key performer at the Emirates Stadium since moving from Stamford Bridge during the summer, and his consistency between the sticks has been pivotal in establishing Arsenal as credible title contenders.
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