Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is being lined up as the club's long-term captain.
The Daily Mail says manager Arsene Wenger has privately identified him as the long-term successor to skipper Thomas Vermaelen.
The Belgium defender is under no immediate danger of losing the armband to Wilshere but a plan is in place to promote the talented playmaker within the next two-and-a-half years.
Having come through the club's academy system, Wilshere has a deep emotional attachment to Arsenal and Wenger likes that. The manager took a similar decision when he made Cesc Fabregas club captain at the age of 21, while Gunners legend Tony Adams' 14-year stint as skipper started at the same age.