With Jack Cork departing the Liberty Stadium to join former club Burnley in a £10million move, Swansea manager Paul Clement has a big decision to make regarding the captaincy.

Despite Leon Britton remaining club captain, it’s unlikely that the 34-year-old will feature week-in, week-out in Clement’s starting line-up over the course of the new season, which begins at Southampton on August 12.

(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

With Britton featuring only 18 times for the Swans last season, and with the arrival of Roque Mesa likely to limit Britton to that sort of number again, Clement will have to select a new on-field skipper to take the armband when the veteran is rested.

Here we look at the likely contenders for the matchday captaincy role...

Alfie Mawson

The youngster only arrived in South Wales last summer but has already made a big impression during his maiden season in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old featured 27 times as Swansea avoided relegation, with Mawson building a solid partnership alongside Federico Fernandez.

Mawson has already captained former club Barnsley, suggesting he possesses the leadership and talent required to take on the role.

Mawson has also recently admitted his desire to captain at club and international level.

“Do I want to be England captain? 100 per cent,” said Mawson.

“I want to be captain at club level and if that ever meant becoming a captain at national level that would be a dream come true.”

However, there will be slight skepticism of handing the role to Mawson due to his relative lack of experience.

Still learning his trade, Clement may want to let Mawson concentrate on his own game rather than have the burden of the captaincy.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

Sigurdsson was a vital part of Swansea’s great escape last season, scoring nine goals and missing just one game.

The 27-year-old is Swansea’s star player, and even captained the Swans at times last season. He would be a popular pick with players and supporters, with the No.10 having plenty of experience and has showed his leadership qualities with Iceland at last summer’s European Championships.

The former Spurs man has been subject of intense speculation regarding his future, with the Swansea hierarchy slapping a reported £50million prize tag on the Everton target.

Clement will want to sort out the captaincy role as soon as possible with minimum fuss - but could handing Sigurdsson the armband encourage their talisman to stay?

Lukasz Fabianski

The Pole is one of the most experienced - and consistent- members of the side.

He has been a mainstay in the Swans goal since his arrival in 2014 and has featured more than 100 times for the club.

Despite Swansea’s struggles in recent seasons, Fabianski had performed well and is a model professional - a crucial attribute of any captain.

But can goalkeepers fully govern from their own penalty box? It is something Clement will have to consider.

Wayne Routledge

The winger, who has been at the club since 2011, is a popular and experienced member of the Swansea squad, and has experience of captaining the side in pre-season in 2016.

He’s one of the senior members, with his experience in the dressing room vital during difficult moments of last season’s struggles.

(Image: Huw Evans Agency)

However, despite featuring 29 times last season, the 32-year-old isn’t guaranteed to start every week, and Clement will want to select an on-field captain in Britton’s absence, which may go against Routledge.

Federico Fernandez

An outside shout for the role, but nevertheless Fernandez has grown in confidence after a difficult start to last season, which saw the Swans flirt with relegation for the majority of the campaign.

However the Argentine has international and top-flight experience, and may be seen as a more worldly-wise alternative to partner Mawson.

Fernandez has also been a mainstay in the side since arriving from Napoli in 2014.

His biggest hurdle may be communication, however, but his English has improved markedly since his switch from Italy three years ago.