The first wave of Arsenal stars have returned to London Colney for pre-season as Unai Emery’s reign kicks off in earnest.
While the World Cup has occupied nine players, many of the squad have been on holiday since the tail-end of May.
Aaron Ramsey is one of those who returned to the training ground today. The Wales international posted a “Back at it” message on his Instagram story. He’s obviously excited at the prospect of star jumps and lunges.
It was also reported at the weekend that loanees like Lucas Perez will also join up with the squad while their futures are decided. Expect
Obviously, there has been a raft of changes in the weeks since Arsene Wenger said his farewell.
While Steve Bould leads the names of those who’ve been retained by Emery, there are new, predominantly Spanish, faces in the coaching set-up and familiar faces, Freddie in charge of the under-23s and Per Mertesacker heading up the Academy, embarking on new roles. Those two held a meeting with all the club’s young stars yesterday to outline their vision for the future.
Today I met every Arsenal Academy player and their families. We have big things planned for this Academy and I can't wait for the new season! #ArsenalAcademy #wearethearsenal pic.twitter.com/TUZGRk9kcj
— Per Mertesacker (@mertesacker) July 1, 2018
There are also some new signings to play with. Stephan Lichtsteiner is still in Russia with Switzerland, but Bernd Leno will be brought up to speed by Petr Cech and Sokratis is expected to be confirmed later today.
It’ll be another ten days or so before the majority of the squad are together again. Then the friendly matches come thick and fast. An Arsenal XI take on Boreham Wood on 14 July, the day before the World Cup final, and then we embark on a short visit to Singapore for matches with Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint Germain.
There’s no Emirates Cup this year, instead, we take on Chelsea in Dublin and Sevilla in Stockholm. Before you know it, Manchester City will be visiting the Emirates for the first game of the season.
The excitement is brewing…
I felt excited too as if I’m one of those going back for pre-season. Can’t wait for kick off day….
Do you think it’s fortunate that most of Arsenal’s World Cup players were all knocked out early?
We shouldn’t have too many late arrivals this year
Ospina may not be back til mid august, given columbias easy path to the final.
Lol
may not be back at all, if we’re being honest
Colombia
Midfield could be an issue, if Emery wants Xhaka and Torreira in his first-choice lineup.
Exactly why? Torreira is a DM and Xhaka can play as a deep lying midfielder which is his natural position which is where he plays for Switzerland
Think he means as Xhaka and Torriea are possibly going to be the last arsenal players at the World Cup. Difficult to see them both being fit in time for City.
Yes I certainly misread that. Thanks. I was wondering why I got so many thumbs down. I would delete it it if I could.
Relax, Fatgooner gets them all the time….he’s still alive
Xhaka is a machine, he’ll be ready ?
Worryingly Ozil has already stated that it’s going to take him a long time to get over Germany’s elimination. Expect to see him looking interested at some point towards the end of November.
Ozil is a player on the slide, hasn’t looked interested since he signed his new deal, he’s got a fit bird and a £350,000 p/w contract, it’s all late night Pizzas and months on end paper-cut injuries from here.
We’ve got a new manager and a new era to look forward to this season and it would be really nice if everyone could unite behind our players for once. You know absolutely nothing about what goes on in Mesuts thoughts or life. I personally was, and still am, extremely happy that he decided to stay with us and didn’t run off when the going got tough. Please don’t tell me nobody wanted him, because I’m sure that if he had been actively in the market there would have been takers for him. This article is about players being back… Read more »
“he decided to stay with us and didn’t run off when the going got tough”
Because no one would give him 350k a week.
I know it, you know it, he knows it, everyone knows it.
I didn’t know that. Surely clubs paying Tevez, Zlatan, Texteira, Rooney larger sums would happily cough up a 350k weekly wage for a talent like Ozil…
Speak for your deluded self, I certainly don’t know that. I think he stayed because we needed him and we still need him. With a decent team and some movement around him he’s going to be awesome, and then hopefully “fans” like you will get off his back.
fanboy-ism is not a healthy behavior.
For all his qualities he also has serious deficiencies, and at 29 no one would overlook ’em and pay 350k.
Correct. Except for Chelsea, City, PSG, United, Barca, Bayern, Juventus & any club with sufficient funds no club would be interested in signing Ozil
Exactly. This is the first summer for a great many that we can look forward with excitement to a new Arsenal season. Interested to see how everyone reacts to the new style of management. I think it will be either raise your game or sit/move on.
Well said no need to join in on bashing ozil and for those worrying of weather our team will be fit for man city coz of the world cup man city has more players involved I think will be better
Emery will win us the EPL and the Europa league..expect big things from this motivated coach
Doesn’t look like we’ll have that many issues with players not turning up till late because of their involvement in the latter stages of the World Cup. By my reckoning we’ve only got Lichsteiner and Welbeck left there now. Torreira if and when we sign him. England France final please as City will then presumably have only just recently got their players back for pre-season once we start against them.
How about Xhaka
Scared. But the good kind of scared. None of that godforsaken resignation at the very least! COYG
yay!
I know senior squad and blah blah, but I think I’m super excited to see the changes Per can do with the academy players. I’m eager to see how he changes and works on the non-footballing aspects of their lives! I think our club can be a front-runner in this part of football which is clearly lacking focus and improvements. Afterall, these players are dedicating their lives to football, and if God forbid anything happens to them or if they aren’t able to make the big cut, it would be nice to see them live happily without facing over-excessive difficulties… Read more »
Well said
Our BFG is an awesome person, I’m so glad the club managed to keep him. Our academy will be the best ever with him in charge.
Get shot of mustafi and get n that young Turkish guy and il b very optimistic….coyg
I can’t wait…
Neymar could be late back, signing not confirmed yet but surely sealed over next few days!
Heard it here first! ?
Can’t see why we’d want Neymar with his terrible injury record. Ok, his injuries only keep him out for about 30 seconds, but still…
Fuck Neymar
That one kid has an absolutely amazing head of hair!