Mikel Arteta and a selection of Arsenal players will travel to Spain next week as pre-season preparations step up a gear
10:26, 10 Jul 2026Updated 10:42, 10 Jul 2026
Viktor Gyokeres, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White
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Viktor Gyokeres, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White during Arsenal pre-season last year (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The majority of the Arsenal squad will report back for pre-season training on Monday, July 20, football.london understands. Mikel Arteta and his players not at the World Cup have been taking a well deserved break following the Champions League final defeat to PSG on May 30.
In total the Gunners had 15 players who travelled across the Atlantic to compete on the world's biggest stage. As we enter the last eight of the competition, Arsenal still have 10 players representing their nations.
William Saliba helped France progress past Morocco on Thursday evening while Spanish trio David Raya, Martin Zubimendi and last 16 match-winner Mikel Merino will come up against Leandro Trossard's Belgium on Friday. England stars Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka will then take on Martin Odegaard's Norway for a place in the semi-final on Saturday.
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As per FIFA rules, players are given three weeks off once the season concludes and it's very possible that Arsenal will have some members of their squad playing in the World Cup final, scheduled for Sunday, July 19. Should players reach the final, then some of Arsenal's stars may not return for pre-season until Monday, August 10.
Still, plans are in place for those players not playing at the World Cup or who have exited the competition early, such as Germany's Kai Havertz, Brazil duo Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli, Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres and Ecuador's Piero Hincapie. football.london understands Arsenal's pre-season will officially get underway on Monday, July 20.
It's understood there are also plans for some players and coaching staff to travel to Marbella next week for an optional training camp before pre-season officially starts. Last year, the Arsenal squad flew to La Manga in Spain for a five-day training camp and in 2024 they did something similar, with a selection of players training in Marbella during Euro 2024.
Once pre-season gets underway, eyes will turn to the friendlies that have been scheduled. Arsenal first face Girona in Spain on August 1, before matches at Emirates Stadium against Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como 1907. Arteta's side will clash with Enzo Maresca's Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 16 before the Premier League season opener against Coventry City the following week.
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