Mikel Arteta during Arsenal pre-season
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal have officially kicked off their preparations for the 2025/26 season with a five-day pre-season training camp in La Manga, Murcia, Spain. The Gunners, led by manager Mikel Arteta, arrived at the prestigious La Manga Club on Thursday, July 10, following initial fitness testing at their Sobha Realty Training Centre in London Colney.
This training camp marks the beginning of a pivotal season for Arsenal, as the club enters Arteta’s fifth full year in charge still in search of major silverware. The trip to La Manga, which runs until July 15, is a closed-door camp with no scheduled public fixtures, focusing instead on fitness work, tactical sessions, and team bonding.
The La Manga Club, nestled between the Mar Menor and Calblanque Regional Park, offers eight natural grass pitches and world-class facilities, making it an ideal setting for the Gunners’ early-season work. Arsenal’s official channels confirmed the squad’s return to London Colney on July 9, sharing images of players back in action under Arteta’s watchful eye.
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The decision to travel to Spain stems from a player-led request for an earlier and more intensive pre-season start. Arteta, speaking last month, revealed that the squad “demanded” a training camp to ensure top physical condition following last season’s demanding schedule.
The Arsenal squad arrived in La Manga earlier today for their five-day pre-season training camp.
The travelling squad consisted of a mixture of first-team players and academy prospects. Highly-rated Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous both travelled.
Jurrien Timber was also… pic.twitter.com/uC8oYoS1rH
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) July 10, 2025
“It’s impossible to have four, five, six weeks on your sun bed, putting sun cream [on] and just ordering drinks,” Arteta said, underscoring the need for high-performance preparation.
Among the players taking part in the camp is new signing Martin Zubimendi, who recently completed a move from Real Sociedad. He is joined by fellow arrivals Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Nørgaard, while academy prospect Max Dowman has also travelled with the squad, reflecting Arteta’s ongoing commitment to youth integration.
Arsenal - Ethan Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, a few notable names are absent. Ethan Nwaneri and Fabio Vieira have been granted extended holidays following their involvement in the UEFA U21 European Championship and FIFA Club World Cup, respectively. Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus remains in Brazil as he continues his recovery from the knee injury that sidelined him late last season.
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This year’s La Manga camp follows a similar trip to Marbella last summer, though the 2025 edition features a more structured schedule with the full squad reporting back to London Colney beforehand. After the Spain trip, Arsenal will shift focus to their Asian pre-season tour, beginning July 19 in Singapore, where they are set to face AC Milan and Newcastle United.
A headline fixture against Tottenham Hotspur is scheduled for July 31 at the sold-out Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. Arsenal are also expected to host two pre-season matches at the Emirates Stadium against Villareal on August 6 and Athletic Club on August 9, as part of the annual Emirates Cup, though final details are yet to be confirmed.
Following a 2024/25 season in which they finished second in the Premier League for a third consecutive year and reached the Champions League semi-finals, Arsenal are under pressure to turn progress into trophies. The early start in La Manga signals a clear intent: to be better prepared than ever for the campaign ahead.
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