Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has bid farewell to the club after 11 years of loyalty and remarkable achievements. His departure immediately adds to the workload of manager Mauricio Pochettino, who now faces a crucial decision in selecting the deserving candidate to wear the captain’s armband.
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Indeed, the Argentine coach needs to establish a new leadership group on the field, as Jorginho’s move to Arsenal in January already deprived the club of both the captain and vice-captain within six months. Another recent captain, Mateo Kovacic, has also departed.
The unprecedented changes in Chelsea’s summer football squad imply limited options to replace Azpilicueta as captain, but some notable names stand out as potential candidates.
Enzo Fernandez
During his brief time at Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez has demonstrated his leadership abilities in orchestrating the game from the midfield amid surrounding chaos. In fact, he aspires to be a leader on the field, stating in April, “I always dreamed of being a leader because when I started, I always wanted to be an example.”
His authority has caught the attention of former manager and Technical Director Frank Lampard, whose thoughts likely align with Pochettino’s perspective: “Enzo is becoming a leader,” he said. “But he’s only 22, and I think it’s quite hard for us to say that, he’ll have to find his own way.”
Language could be an issue as well, as Lampard revealed in May that Enzo “doesn’t speak much English.” Therefore, it seems like a premature opportunity for the club’s record transfer value player.
Ben Chilwell
One name that will be mentioned in discussions about the next club captain and leadership team is Ben Chilwell. Despite joining only in 2020, the 26-year-old player has quickly become one of the longest-serving players for the club.
As a Premier League and Champions League champion, as well as an England international, he has significant experience at the highest level and understands what it means to represent Chelsea through ups and downs, while his friendly and approachable personality makes him well-liked within the team and among the fan community.
However, his injury history should be a concern, as Pochettino would want his captain to be consistently available. Some also argue that he may be too laid-back to assume this role.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
The idea of Kepa Arrizabalaga being considered a candidate for the captain’s armband would have seemed laughable less than a year ago, but the goalkeeper has fought his way back to a crucial position at Stamford Bridge.
Kepa had a solid season after reclaiming the number one goalkeeper spot from Edouard Mendy, who has since left Chelsea. Lampard even handed him the captain’s armband in a home match against Brighton towards the end of the previous season, although that game ended in a disappointing defeat.
He is an unlikely contender for this role, but there have been reports suggesting that Pochettino will continue to utilize Kepa as his number one in the upcoming season instead of seeking a replacement. This has made him a candidate for the captaincy due to his leadership abilities on the field and being one of the longest-serving players in the first team, although he still has some weaknesses.
Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling has yet to be at Chelsea for a full year, but his experience and winning spirit means he will be on the minds of Pochettino a lot as he ponders his decision.
Sterling has become a born leader, serving as captain both at Manchester City and England and earning the respect of his teammates with his achievements on and off the pitch. His time winning trophies at the Etihad Stadium makes him the most trophy-laden player in the Chelsea squad.
This is a role the player enjoys at international level, he said after being captain of the Three Lions last year: “It’s a great privilege and when I was a young player just started I never thought I would be England captain one day.It comes down to the maturity the manager sees you, with my passion and love for my country. .
“I always remember when I was a young player coming in and when the old players hold me in their arms it was a wonderful thing. It was a new environment and all we had. What we can do is make sure newcomers feel as comfortable as possible.”
The main thing that will trouble Sterling is his short stint at Stamford Bridge so far, but don’t be surprised if he appears on the manager’s new staff.
Reece James
Reece James is considered by many as a potential Chelsea captain. One of the academy’s remarkable success stories, James has been with the club for 17 years, which means he has a deep understanding of what it means to wear the blue shirt, and at At the age of 23, his wardrobe already has a Champions League medal.
It has always been James’ long-term dream to wear the captain’s armband, and even become the face of Chelsea, as his father Nigel revealed in 2021. He told The Athletic: “The part that will touch me is that the day he became Chelsea captain. That’s his ambition and mine. The goal is to become an agent, when people hear the name ‘Chelsea’, people immediately think of ‘Reece James’.”
After representing England, James was named captain in the match against Tottenham in February after a player was injured. He could feel he was ready to move forward with his rapid acceleration, becoming one of the best right-backs and winning the hearts of the fans – garnering the support of the club’s fans. more so when he hit back at an Arsenal fan suggesting he should move to the club.
The departures of Azpilicueta and Kovacic, along with Mason Mount’s move to Manchester United, paved the way for James. Although he will be included in Pochettino’s mind, James needs to overcome recurrent fitness problems to carry out the role to the best of his ability. This would be a concern for Pochettino, as would James’ rather reserved personality.
Perhaps he would be more suitable for the position of vice captain.
Thiago Silva
Surely who will replace Azpilicueta as captain permanently? With the Spaniard becoming increasingly left out of the team during the 2022-23 season and after Jorginho’s departure, Thiago Silva was the one to be regularly handed the captaincy in the second half of the season.
Language problems can be seen as an obstacle when the former Brazil international is still learning English, but his experience and reputation overcome that; Though never captain or vice-captain, the centre-back has become a leader on the pitch since joining Chelsea in 2020.
Silva can rely on a wealth of experience at the highest level, which has included captaining Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan over the years, and he remains one of the most consistent and productive players around. Chelsea’s most respected object at the age of 38.
Nicknamed ‘The Monster’, he wouldn’t be a long-term solution to the position, but it would certainly be the most logical choice to appoint him as captain in the near future.
