Tottenham could replace Son Heung-min as captain with another lower-profile member of Ange Postecoglou's squad, with the 32-year-old still yet to pen fresh terms and commit his future to Spurs.
Son contract expiring in potential concern for Spurs
Spurs have the option to extend Son's contract by an additional 12 months, keeping him at the club until 2026, even though his current deal is due to expire in 2025 as things stand.
It is highly likely that Postecoglou's side will trigger the one-year extension clause, but supporters and club chiefs alike would prefer that Son puts pen to paper on a new long-term deal to keep him at N17 for even longer.
"Yeah, still ongoing," said Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge on talks over a new deal for Son earlier this year (GiveMeSport).
"This is a player who, let's face it, is just brilliant on the field, but a brilliant ambassador and obviously globally, so key to the football club. He's been a great club captain since taking over from Harry Kane. He's come back from the Asian Cup. He was very personally disappointed with the way it was done. I don't think he had the best relationship in the world with Jurgen Klinsmann. Maybe that's taken him a little bit of time to come back."
Postecoglou, when asked about Son's contract situation earlier this summer, was more vague in his response.
"Yeah, look, that's not really my area, what I always do and what I've always done is irrespective of the contract situation of players is to you know, treat them all the same," said Postecoglou on Son's contract.
"Ben and Sonny are an important part of this football club. We've got a really young team at the moment and we need some good experienced players around them and they're two that certainly set the right example. And in terms of contracts I think that all gets sorted out at the appropriate time. But from my perspective, and I think the players' perspectives themselves, we're just focused on preparing for a big year."
Tottenham could replace Son as captain with Guglielmo Vicario
Of course, if Son does depart in 2026, then the Lilywhites will need a new captain to replace their legend. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has impressed overall since joining Spurs from Empoli last summer, even if the Italy international came under-fire for his handling of set-pieces once again during Tottenham's 1-0 North London Derby defeat to Arsenal.
According to Milan Live, Spurs could make Vicario their future captain, akin to how long-serving ex-number one Hugo Lloris took the armband for many years. The "underrated" 27-year-old is attracting interest from Inter Milan, who are thinking of making an offer for him to replace Yann Sommer, but a deal will be very difficult to do for the Nerazzurri.