After several weeks of training in Marbella, a decent chunk of the Arsenal first team squad will officially begin their preparations for the 24/25 campaign when they return to London Colney on Monday.
With a tricky set of opening fixtures on the horizon, the challenge for the manager is to get a side that lost just one league game between January and May to pick up where they left off last season.
It’s going to be easier said than done given some key players won’t be available until the second week of August at the earliest.
As a result of his squad’s staggered return, the boss expects those players not involved in this summer’s big international tournaments to set the benchmark for the others.
“The players who arrive first are going to set the tone for the ones that are coming back later because we have four different groups coming at different stages in pre-season and they really have to feel that,” Arteta told Arsenal.com.
“For me, the best thing is when they come here on the first day [of training] and when they look at us, when they see the attitude, when they see the preparation, when they hear the words that we are using to start the preparation for this season.
“Then they go, ‘Wow, this is going up a level again, so what we did last season is not going to be enough. If I want to play and I want to be competing in this team, I’m going have to do something extra.'”
After a comprehensive review of last season, Arteta believes there remain plenty of areas fo improve.
“There are margins everywhere, and some of them can be tiny but can have a huge impact, but others are really big,” he said.
“First of all, we have to continue to do all the right things that we are doing in a consistent way, and if we can, do them a bit better. That’s the first part.
“Then the other one is ok, what are the other areas we can still improve and go for them and simplify everything we do in a really efficient way.
“Some people say you have to work a little bit more efficiently, I think we are going to try to work harder and be more efficient. That’s the objective.”
Arsenal have already been active in the transfer market completing the signing of David Raya from Brentford but the manager has plenty more work to do if his squad is to be reinforced.
Two new goalkeepers could be signed, there’s talk of left-sided defender Riccardo Calafiori joining from Bologna and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the club push for new players in midfield and attack. So far though, it’s been relatively quiet.
“Yes, it’s a very different summer with the Euros and the Copa America, it is different. You can tell everything is a bit slower. The market and a lot of the constraints the new rules in place have caused clubs to be more aware and it’s a bit more delicate to do business in the way that we’ve done in the last few seasons.
“We’ve adapted to that and we still want to deliver what we want thoughout the transfer window to have a much more competitive team and improve the squad in every area that we can.”
While incomings are clearly the exciting bit, the club is also focused on trimming the fat off the first team squad. It’s expected that Nuno Tavares and Sambi Lokonga, both of whom signed three years ago, are expected to leave the club on season-long loans for Lazio and Sevilla respectively. The moves could become permanent next summer.
For me, one of the biggest challenges for Arsenal and for other top teams will be resisting the temptation of throwing players back into intense competition without time to recover. How many weeks have Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka not played football since the Premier League restarted after Covid? For many players, it has now been four years of compressed schedules, a winter World Cup, and shortened breaks. Can that continue without recurrent–chronic–injuries?
Agree completely.
But how do we remain competitive in tough opening games against well rested teams without Saka, Saliba and Rice?
I think we are going to have to be very clever about how we reincorporate these players. But I would imagine two out of three of them will start the first game of the season. Then maybe we can rotate them on a game-by-game basis to give them all some rest.
But these guys (bar Odegaard) are our three best players. Two points was the difference last season. We simply can’t afford to give them August off.
The problem is what Man City continue to get away with. The old days of rotating, dropping points early on, but having a good 2nd half of the season are long gone.
Really good point, I think all teams will start to see injuries as a result. Squads will play a bigger part this season than those before as a result.
I think if you asked AI what Mikel would say in his first interview of the pre-season, it might have nailed it word for word. Nothing to say and at this stage these interviews are purely performative and a waste of everyone’s time…
Not even responding to a question on let’s say Oshimen by: “I don’t talk about players that are not in the team”.
Are we sure this isn’t already an AI version of Mikel? Those same black outfits on the sideline, the way too perfect lego hair, the random copying and pasting of vernacular words like “chapeau” and “innit” to seem more human. Artetificial Mikelligence if you ask me.
Ghost in the shell?
I know everyone is saying to calm down and that Arteta and Edu have a plan. But I do think this window will be a little more heavy going. Last window we got absolutely everything we wanted. Rice, Havertz, Raya, Timber. I would guess first choice on all four. But we’ve already missed out on Sesko and probably Williams. Plus a lot of our other targets seem to be hotly contested and far from a dead cert. Some windows everything just clicks and others are a bit more of a slog. I think this one might be a toughie where… Read more »
Can you remember the time we were all in for Mudryk and got Trossard. So many people were saying it is a disaster at the time.
You are absolutely right of course. Second and third choice transfers have indeed had really positive impacts for us. It’s probably just my complete lack of football knowledge but it feels like there’s just less out there right now. The midfielders and strikers we’ve been linked with thus far feel kind of underwhelming. Merino isn’t exactly a glamour signing. Sesko seemed flawed. Even Williams is a player that still has huge question marks over him. I dunno. It just feels a bit slim pickings. And if your first and second choice are a bit ‘meh’ then maybe it’s best not… Read more »
I like Merino a lot. Big body, all action, no compromise duel winner who can play in the final 3rd a little too. Stylistically he is similar to Rice. Plays for a UCL club and a Spain international, so not exactly an unknown, but his asking price seems reasonable so it’s a bit opportunistic as well. But I think both the fit and the quality are there and he would fill out the midfield nicely with another combative physical presence.
To be clear, I see him very much as an alternate to Rice, not his partner.
Yeah. That’s just it. It would appear we are a world class LB and 6 from being the best team in the world.
I don’t claim to know loads about Calafiori but I’ve been assured by some very smart people that he’s the real deal.
So now I just really want us to find that 6. And if we have to, let’s go massive. But I’m just not sure he exists in this market in this window.
I would not in any way be against Declan Rice and his clone (Merino; who I also REALLY REALLY rate and would love us to sign) playing #8 and #6, respectively, perhaps even interchangeably.
Maybe he can play the lone pivot, but that’s not his role at Sociedad. He plays in a double pivot next to Zubimendi.
Maybe a window that we have to let go because of FFP.
FFP is like that fuck head Musk complaining about paying taxes on his capital gains from his shares with Telsa because they are not strictly “cash”, yet he is free to use them as cash equivalent leverage to purchase (and subsequently destroy) twitter.
Financial protectionism only applies to anyone that cannot afford the most lawyers.
Well, if breaking FFP means selling Hein to Villa for £30m and buying some cunt from them for £30m then let’s do it.
If you can’t beat them…
Of course I don’t mean this. I want us to be ethical. But it seems a little pointless following rules that other clubs are so willing to knowingly and legally circumvent.
Having seen what Arteta did with Ode and Havertz, he is a real talent reviver. I will suggest we go for Ansu Fati.
This is even more dream world after this Euros (not that it was very likely to work before).
But I said here before the tournament started that I would email United and just say £100m for Mainoo. Take it or leave it.
I think there’s a reality where they look at what they need to do to rebuild and consider taking that.
And I really think he would complete us.
Yeah lots of reasons for this. The Euros and the Copa, the managerial changes at lots of big clubs, financial restrictions on our end but also increasingly with other English clubs too, but amidst all of this the market valuations for players hasnt’ moved much. So we’re seeing lots of business on the lower end of things but very little in the way of a big splash from anyone. From a purely Arsenal perspective, we can afford to bide our time because what we have is already so good. There is 0% desperation, and that feels great. We also have… Read more »
Sesko was a market opportunity and we heard about him early because his release clause expired on 1 July. No we didn’t get him but I don’t think he (or any attacker) was necessarily our top target. Our top targets are imo yet to reveal themselves
He may be speaking in generalities, but there is a lot of meaning and purpose behind those words. I believe the margins he’s looking at are the following: Major items: Optimizing the role of Declan Rice. Undeniably a stellar player with a great first season, he was nevertheless moved from the single pivot to the left 8. He did well there because he could play every position on the pitch, but this isn’t a perfect fit for him offenseively because he is more effective crashing or carrying into the box rather than receiving with back to goal or to feet… Read more »
What exactly does Ben White not offer offensively in your eyes or as you suggest in Arteta’s? I’m genuinely curious to know. I’d rate him higher than any right back I’ve seen at either the euros or Copa America this summer.
He’s a CB. He’s cultured on the ball, has a good engine, and has even added some final third productivity but… he’s still a CB and creativity is low on the list of his best talents. If you’re looking to level up on the margins, offensive output from FB is one place to look. For example, Bayern with Kimmich and Davies, or PSG with Hakimi, or Madrid with Carvajal. Of course you have to balance that with what you might lose defensively, but we’re speaking about marginal gains in this post.
Definitely prefer the Summers recently when we’ve gotten business done earlier so the players can be part of the full preseason, but with so many playing into the knockout rounds in the Copa and Euros it is going to be an abbreviated preseason for so many. Just hope we can get out of the gates quickly and not drop points in the first few weeks due to the team still coming together.
Man, the rate at which Arteta is aging! Must be having sleepless nights on how to beat Man C115y next season..
All managers age ten years by their third season in charge.
Fan since the 70’s so have seen good times, some bad times, some incredible times and some frustrating times….Have to admit I didn’t think Arteta was the right man, but happy to admit it only shows how little I know….Last season was exceptional in so many ways yet because of the financially enhanced juggernaut that is City it is almost impossible to overcome them. In the 90’s we could win titles with 79 points !!! Now any slip up is almost fatal……Liverpool put a few seasons of excellent performances together and came away with one title……Because the margins are so… Read more »
Am I the only one that is a little disappointed that a guy like Patino didn’t get an invite to the pre preseason trip?
I guess Arteta has already made his mind up about Patino.