Arsenal head coach Emery wants ‘five captains’

BBC
BBC
Unai Emery, new Arsenal coach

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery says he wants “five captains” in his team as he tries to find the “best personalities” in his dressing room.

The Spaniard, who took over from Arsene Wenger in May, said Laurent Koscielny would remain his “first captain”.

“My idea is to know every player and to know, also, the personality of the players,” said Emery, 43.

“We want to keep the respect for these players, to find the captain and choose very well the best player for that.”

France centre-back Koscielny, 32, is expected to be out until December with a ruptured Achilles tendon, which caused him to miss the World Cup.

Full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, one of Emery’s five summer signings, skippered Switzerland in Russia this summer.

“I think my first idea is to have five captains in the team,” Emery added. “But at the moment, I don’t know the names.

“We are looking at, looking for, who are the players whose personality is the best in the dressing room.”

In addition to Lichtsteiner, Arsenal have signed Germany goalkeeper Bernd Leno and Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, as well as midfielders Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.

Former PSG and Sevilla boss Emery said that could conclude their summer business.

“Maybe we can bring in one if there’s a very good possibility for them to help us, but the club has done a great job of signing new players and I am happy.

“We signed the players who we needed. We will only sign a player in the next month if he’s a big opportunity.”

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