Arsenal has confirmed two additional home fixtures to their pre-season schedule, with Spanish teams Villarreal and Athletic Club set to visit Emirates Stadium in early August. This announcement is sure to excite sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
The Gunners will first face off against Villarreal on Wednesday, 6 August. Following this, they will welcome Athletic Bilbao for the annual Emirates Cup clash on Saturday, 9 August. The latter match is expected to be the final preparation before the Premier League opener away at Manchester United on Sunday, 17 August.
Athletic recently confirmed a new deal for sought-after winger Nico Williams. This development promises an exciting test of Arsenal's defensive prowess just days before the Premier League kick-off.
Pre-season training camp in Spain
Several first-team players have already reported for a warm-weather training camp in Spain alongside club staff ahead of the official start of pre-season at London Colney on Monday. They'll get a couple of weeks of fitness work – and likely participate in a behind-closed-doors friendly or two – under their belts before heading to Asia.
This period also offers an opportunity to work with Gabriel Heinze who has taken over as assistant coach following Carlos Cuesta’s departure.
The summer tour includes stops in Singapore where Arsenal will face AC Milan (23 July) and Newcastle (27 July). In Hong Kong, they are set for a North London derby against Spurs (31 July), marking it as the first-ever overseas staging of this rivalry match.
Transfer updates
In terms of transfers, Martin Zubimendi’s signing is expected to be confirmed by next week after Friday’s planned announcement was postponed due to Diogo Jota's tragic death. With Kepa Arrizabalaga already on board, Andrea Berta and team are working to strengthen other areas.
Arsenal is currently in negotiations with several players as part of their strengthening strategy. These include Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia, Christian Norgaard from Brentford, and Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. Talks are also underway with Noni Madueke from Chelsea, Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.
On the flip side, players like Karl Hein, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson have all been tipped to depart. The transfer window closes at 7pm on Monday, 1 September. With a packed pre-season schedule and potential player transfers in the pipeline, Arsenal fans have much to look forward to in the coming weeks. As we count down the remaining 59 days of transfer activities and prepare for an exciting season ahead - stay tuned for more updates!
