Paul Merson disagrees with Mikel Arteta’s decision to hand Alexandre Lacazette the Arsenal captaincy, insisting Kieran Tierney and Ben White are more suitable candidates.
Former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy in December and left the north London club in the January transfer window to join Barcelona.
After losing the armband, Aubameyang didn’t make another appearance for the Gunners, with Lacazette chosen to lead the side.
Earlier this week, Arteta confirmed that Lacazette will captain Arsenal until the end of the season.
The Frenchman’s contract at the Emirates is due to expire in the summer and he is free to negotiate with foreign clubs over a pre-contract agreement.
Gunners legend Merson believes the call to make 30-year-old Lacazette captain is going ‘two steps back’.
‘Kieran Tierney should be Arsenal captain – because you can’t put your faith in Alexandre Lacazette,’ Merson told the Daily Star.
‘And my old club should start sorting out better contracts for young players like Bukayo Saka right now instead of wasting their money like they have before.
‘They moved one step forward getting rid of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his massive wages – but giving the captaincy to Lacazette was going two steps back.
‘Give it to someone like Tierney and start building now.
‘I like Tierney. I think he’ll run through a brick wall for you. I think Ben White could be captain as well. One of those two. They are there for the long run. Why not?
‘Lacazette is 30 years old now. I think he needs to show some leadership. But I do not agree with him being made captain one iota.
‘He’s not going to be there next season. What’s the point? That worries me. It makes me wonder if they want to offer him a new contract.
‘That would be a mistake. Of course it would. They haven’t looked like challenging for the title with Lacazette up front have they? He hasn’t always been able to even get in the team.
‘His contract is up. You’d have to offer him a fortune if you give him a new one. And he hasn’t ripped it up for the last few years so why would he do it for the next few?’
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