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Mikel Arteta has revealed that his Arsenal players are eager to begin pre-season early this summer, with many of them pushing for a repeat of last year’s June training camp in Marbella.
The Gunners are set to travel to Asia in July for a pre-season tour that will take them to Hong Kong and Singapore. But before that, Arteta says several squad members are already demanding an early return to training in order to hit the ground running next season.
“The players are demanding it,” said the Arsenal manager. “Nowadays, I think it’s impossible to have four, five, six weeks on your sun bed, putting on sun cream and just ordering drinks.
“Then come back six weeks later, go full gas on tour and play 65 games. It’s impossible. Now they demand from themselves to be in the best possible condition.”
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Arteta added that the players are not only motivated by footballing reasons, but also enjoy spending time together during the summer.
“We’re really lucky because we have boys who want to spend the summer with their families and with their teammates. So if they can pick a place to do that and we can facilitate it, they’re more than welcome to.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images)Arsenal’s 2024/25 campaign will begin without a trophy from this season, continuing a drought that stretches back to the 2020 FA Cup win. Despite a strong performance across competitions, the Gunners have fallen short again in their pursuit of silverware.
However, Arteta remains focused on finishing the current campaign on a high. Arsenal host Newcastle United on Sunday in their final home game of the season, with second place in the Premier League still on the line. The Gunners currently sit two points ahead of the Magpies.
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“It’s been a phenomenal effort from all of them,” said Arteta. “It’s our last home game, and it’s always a very special occasion. It’s our chance to wrap up the Champions League and put ourselves in a really strong position for second place.
“It’s also a way to say thank you again to all our supporters for the amazing season. They’ve been with us on every journey, at every ground, making the effort to travel and support us.
“This is one of the best days of the season — a time to say thank you to them and for them to show their appreciation for the team.”
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