Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly drawn up a preliminary shortlist of candidates to inherit captaincy from Cesar Azpilicueta. The 32-year-old defender faces an increasingly uncertain future at Stamford Bridge with his contract set to expire at the end of next season.
Azpilicueta featured 25 times for the Blues in the Premier League last term, keeping eight clean sheets. Despite the Spain international's best efforts to lead by example, he struggled to impress and often looked out of his depth.
With Malo Gusto arriving as fresh competition for Reece James at right-back, Azpilicueta has been heavily linked with an exit from west London. And, after 11 fantastic years at Chelsea, he now looks set to join Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.
