Chilwell Outlines Ambition to Be Chelsea Captain As Pochettino Faces Key Decision

• Chelsea are without a captain after the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta to Atletico Madrid
• Mauricio Pochettino has to select a new captain ahead of their season's opener against Liverpool
• Veteran defender Thiago Silva and academy star Reece James are tipped to be the next skipper

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has made no secret of his desire to lead the team next season as captain after the departure of former captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Blues are undergoing a series of changes from top to bottom which started with a change of ownership over a year ago. The club has seen five different managers, including Bruno Saltor, who managed just a game.

Mauricio Pochettino took over officially on July 1 after weeks of searching, which included interviewing former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique and former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann.

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The Argentine has overseen two wins from his first pre-season but has a lot of critical decisions to make over the squad ahead of the season opener against Liverpool on August 12.

Chilwell outlines captain's ambitions

Veteran defender, Thiago Silva, is the likeliest choice for the vacant captaincy, while academy star Reece James has also been tipped to jostle for the armband.

Other considerations include Ben Chilwell and club record signing Enzo Fernandez, who only joined the club in January.

“I’d love to be captain,” Chilwell said via The Athletic. “I was captain of the youth team at Leicester and thoroughly enjoyed it. Just having that role, really, I think it brings the best out in me and my game — having a little bit more pressure and trying to help people around me I think is one of my strengths.

“Whether I get it or not, it’s not going to take away from my role. I don’t think you need an armband to be a leader, so whether I get it or I don’t, I’ll continue to do what I’m doing.”

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The 24-year-old joined Chelsea from Leicester City in 2020 under Frank Lampard, and with his current contract set to expire in 2025 amidst interest from Manchester City, he extended his deal by a further two years till 2027, as reported by Evening Standard.

Chilwell and Silva clash

Sports Brief reported that Chilwell and Thiago Silva clashed on the pitch during Chelsea's 3-1 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last season.

The Brazilian confronted the left-back for allowing Gunners captain Martin Odegaard too much space to fire home a second, and Fernandez joined in the confrontation.