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Football London
Football London
Sport
Anita Abayomi

Chelsea face intriguing Raheem Sterling decision amid Thomas Tuchel's captaincy dilemma

Raheem Sterling for Chelsea captaincy, who says no? Well, more people than you'd think. Some fans have reacted angrily in light of Trevor Sinclair's comments on the matter.

Sinclair told Talk Sport: "I think Raheem Sterling should go in at Chelsea and become the captain. If you look at it, he’s vice-captain of England and the only person who you can say has more experience than him is Thiago Silva and he’s getting on. You can’t build your team around someone who might be leaving at the end of the season.

“Everyone looks up to him. You hear young players all the time talking about how Raheem Sterling did this and how he helped them with that. I think he could go in and be a great captain for Chelsea. He could lead that team to something very special.”

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A compelling argument from the former Manchester City player, but there are just a number of things that must be considered before the Blues even think to hand the captaincy band to a newcomer. With Cesar Azpilicueta supposedly on his way out, Thomas Tuchel has a decision to make.

Mason Mount and Reece James both have the opportunity of replicating John Terry's claim to Chelsea success. Prior to 2019, Terry was the only graduate from Cobham to solidify his position in the Chelsea first team. The Blues are now blessed with an array of talent, Champions League winners who bleed blue. It's time to reward their loyalty with the captain's armband. I have a case for these two players in particular. It's not that Sterling wouldn't make a great captain, it's just that there are players who have dreamt of having that title their whole lives.

Reece James' father has previously stated that it has always been a dream of his to become Chelsea captain. The England right-back has been at Chelsea from a young age and has in the past been tipped to be Azpilicueta's successor. He is diligent in his play and shows leadership qualities on the pitch. He comes across as a leader, and I am not the only person to believe so.

James was handed the captain's armband at the end of his loan spell at Wigan. He led the team out, and it felt so natural for the then 19-year-old. It's rather unorthodox to see a loanee captain his surrogate club.

The fan favourite is obviously Mount. He has stolen the hearts of the majority ever since Lampard appointed him as his main man. We were gifted with a glimpse of what he would look like as captain. During Lampard's final day as Chelsea manager, he gave Mount the captain's armband, indicating that he was the right choice to replace Azplicueta when the time came.

Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard have all already backed Mount to become captain. Terry predicts him to become future Chelsea and England captain, whilst Cole praised his attitude and stated that he is pushing for captaincy.

Raheem Sterling will be an incredible addition to the Chelsea squad - there is absolutely no doubt about it. But as far as captaincy goes, let's hold off on that thought for now. As well as Mount there are still arguments for Thiago Silva, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic taking the armband.

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