FC Barcelona began their current La Liga-winning campaign with four captains in Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto.

With Pique retiring in November, however, and Busquets and Alba set to depart on June 30, only one of those figures will remain in the Blaugrana first team squad moving forward to 2023/2024.

Naturally then, there is great intrigue as to who the next four skippers will be when Barca attempt to defend their La Liga crown and challenge in Europe again next term.

When Pique retired before the close of 2022, goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen took his spot in the quartet of leaders leaving just two vacant spaces which have now become three.

Above all, the biggest question remains as to who will replace Busquets. The team's main captain since Lionel Messi left in 2021, it is suspected that the Argentine would immediately take the armband if he completes a free transfer from Paris Saint Germain in the summer.

With Barca facing financial difficulties, however, and struggling to convince La Liga they can pull off the coup, he could still wind up in Saudi Arabia where his father and agent Jorge Messi would prefer as a next destination according to Beteve.

If the armbands are distributed on terms of seniority, however, Roberto would be captain followed by Ter Stegen, Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong who are the longest-standing members of a squad that has undergone many facelifts and has had many exits since the turn of the decade.

De Jong captained Barca on Tuesday as they fell 3-1 to Real Valladolid, and was thrilled by being handed such responsibility.

"It was a great honour for me because I always dreamed of playing for Barcelona and to take the captain’s armband is a great honour for me," the Dutchman said.

If we talk about which kind of figures ooze natural leadership, though, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski should surely be in the running.

Yet when it comes to the long-term future of the club, of which Araujo is also an integral part, Pedri and Gavi might fancy their chances of making their way into the Gang of Four and progressing up the pecking order as the years pass because of their promise as potential club legends.