‘Give him the captaincy’: Merson tells Arteta to make Emery signing new Arsenal skipper

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Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has urged Mikel Arteta to change the captain at the Emirates in order to turn the season around, while speaking to Sky Sports on Thursday.

The Gunners’ terrible form in the Premier League has raised questions about the club’s leadership. Current skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recently admitted that he isn’t very vocal in the dressing room, and that has irked Merson.

The Englishman wants Arteta to strip Auba off his captaincy and hand it to someone else. His pick is Kieran Tierney.

The Scotsman was signed by Unai Emery from Celtic for £25 million in the summer of 2019. (Sky Sports) He has become a fan favourite at the Emirates, and Merson believes that his leadership is what Arsenal need at the moment to turn their season around.

He said: “I would give it to Tierney as he’d run through a brick wall for you. He’s the one player I look at who gives everything, and I’d give him the captaincy. There’s a way of showing how much you care, and the relationship he is building with Bukayo Saka down the left looks decent.”

“Arsenal need that all around the pitch, and at the moment they’re in a relegation battle. For me, I don’t see them doing what Burnley are capable of, rolling their sleeves up. Arsenal are searching for the perfect win but they need to start grinding out results.”

Should Tierney replace Auba as our new skipper?

Tierney has all the qualities to become the captain of Arsenal. He became Celtic’s youngest-ever skipper at 20 years old when Brendan Rodgers handed him the armband in August 2017. (Herald)

However, Arteta should keep his faith in Aubameyang. The Arsenal skipper might not be the one who screams and shouts to get the best out of his side. However, he leads by example and his performances last season show exactly that.

Stripping him off his captaincy just because he isn’t scoring regularly would only damage his confidence. Arsenal cannot afford that at the moment, and Arteta is right to stand by his skipper in this difficult period.