Mauricio Pochettino’s four Chelsea captain options revealed as ‘clear frontrunner’ named to succeed Cesar Azpilicueta

Following his appointment as the new head coach of Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino faces some big questions, with some needing answers more immediately than others.

One of the first selections the Argentine must make is appointing a new club captain, with current captain Cesar Azpilicueta‘s move to Atletico Madrid seemingly imminent. This leaves a gaping void of leadership within an already youthful and slightly inexperienced side.

Azpilicueta joined Chelsea in 2012, and has served as club captain since Gary Cahill’s departure in 2019, performing as a consummate professional throughout his stint at Stamford Bridge.

And with this being said, Pochettino will need to replace this void, with four successors reportedly on his mind. As reported by Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard, Thiago Silva has emerged as the ‘clear frontrunner’ to take the armband from Azpilicueta.

Silva, who will celebrate his 39th birthday in September, joined the Blues in 2020 helping the club to its second European Cup and its first Club World Cup.

The Brazilian, who has captained his country on several occasions, was also a standout in an extremely poor season for Chelsea last term, picking up the club’s Player of the Season award along the way.

With a mass exodus occurring at Chelsea this summer, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante all departing, Pochettino may have been left short of natural leaders in his side.

However, in an interview with Chelsea’s in-house media, the 51-year-old recognises and is confident he can bring these qualities out of his new squad.

“We need leaders, not followers, in every single area and we will push every person to bring their best and give their best for the club.”

Other candidates who are being considered for the role include, Raheem Sterling, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Reece James.

However, as the season opener against Liverpool draws closer, it looks more and more likely that Silva will be wearing the armband for the upcoming season.