A look at Arsenal’s pre-season plans: Matches, transfer targets and more

The 2022/23 campaign was certainly one to remember for Arsenal fans. The Gunners mounted a serious title charge and pushed Manchester City all the way. Arsenal led the Premier League for over 240 days but a slump of form in April handed the initiative to City and they took full advantage to retain the title en route to an historic treble.

Mikel Arteta will use the summer break to reflect on where it went wrong last season and further strengthen his squad to add some much-needed depth. Arsenal are back in the Champions League and fans will expect the club to push for the title again in 2023/24, so Arteta has got a lot of work to do over the coming weeks in preparation for the new season.

Pre-season fixtures

Arsenal have already got their pre-season fixtures scheduled and they’ll use these games to try out different tactics and to build the players’ fitness ahead of the new campaign. The Premier League kicks off on August 12th when Nottingham Forest visit the Emirates Stadium and Arteta will want his players ready to hit the ground running.

Arsenal vs FC Nurnberg – July 13th

Arsenal will begin their pre-season preparations with a friendly against FC Nurnberg on Thursday July 13th at the Max-Morlock Stadion. The Gunners head off to Germany for the start of their pre-season tour and will be training at adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach. It will only be a short stay in Germany before Arsenal fly out for their main tour of the United States, but Arteta will still want to build up some fitness with a strong performance against Nurnberg.

Arsenal vs MLS All-Stars – July 20th

The Gunners will fly to the US this summer for a pre-season tour and kick things off with a match against an MLS All-Star XI in Washington DC. The match will be played at the Audi Field Stadium on Wednesday 19th, which will be 4.30am on Thursday July 20th for people in the UK.

Arsenal vs Man Utd – July 22nd

Arsenal continue their US tour with a clash against old rivals, Manchester United on Saturday July 22nd, kicking off at 10pm UK time. The game will be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and it will be the first time the two sides have played each other on US soil. This match will be another vital moment in the build-up to the new season as not only will it give the players a competitive game to build on their fitness, but it will also provide a marker for where Arsenal are against one of their main rivals.

Arsenal vs Barcelona – July 26th

It doesn’t get any easier for the Gunners as after taking on Man Utd, they will then face-off against Euro giants Barcelona in Los Angeles on July 26th at the SoFi Stadium – home of the LA Rams, who are also owned by Arsenal owners the Kroenke’s. This will be an opportunity for Arsenal to take on one of the best teams in Europe and the La Liga champions are possible opponents in the Champions League next season.

Arsenal vs Monaco – August 2nd

After flying back from their US tour, Arsenal will then take on Monaco in the Emirates Cup. The game will take place on Wednesday 2nd August at the Emirates Stadium, kicking off at 6pm UK time. The Emirates Cup is always a great occasion and a good day out for the family as Arsenal finalise their plans for the new season.

Man City – FA Community Shield – 6th August

Arsenal will take on Man City in this years Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday August 6th. This game is usually contested between the league and FA Cup winners, but as Man City won both competitions last season it’s the team who finished second [Arsenal] who are chosen as the opposition.

You can already buy tickets for this game and it’s expected to be a sell-out with Arsenal fans desperate to see their team in action against the side that beat them to the title last season. This will be a true test of where Arsenal are and whether they’ll be ready to go toe-to-toe with City once again for the title.

Transfer plans

It was clear from last seasons late collapse that Arsenal need more depth in their squad if they’re to compete on all fronts. Arteta acknowledged this himself and Arsenal are expected to be extremely active in the summer transfer market as the Spaniard’s continues to re-shape his squad.

Midfield

The main priority for the Gunners is central midfield. Granit Xhaka is expected to complete a move to Bayer Leverkusen this summer so Arteta needs a replacement. Thomas Partey’s fitness is also a concern as he has struggled to stay fit and play over 40 games per season, so Arsenal also need a player who can play in the holding role.

Declan Rice is widely reported to be Arsenal’s main target. The England international can play in the defensive midfield position or as a No.8 in the box-to-box role that Xhaka played last season, so it’s easy to see why Arteta wants him. Rice has developed into a top class player and West Ham want around £100m for him. Arsenal are expected to stump up the cash to make Rice their marquee signing of the summer.

Attack

Arteta is also in the market for another attacker. The Gunners boss wants a versatile player who can play in various roles, and it seems Kai Havertz has emerged as a priority target. The German has blown hot and cold at Chelsea since joining the club two years ago but he clearly has a lot of quality, and he’s comfortable playing up front, on the wing or even as an attacking midfielder so it’s no surprise that Arteta wants him. A £60m deal could be agreed, which would suit all parties.

Defence

Arsenal also need to strengthen in defence as the back four collapsed after William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu got injured in March. Rob Holding is a good pro but he doesn’t have a required quality if a team wants to win titles. A new centre-back to support Saliba is needed but reports suggest that Arteta wants to sign a specialist right-back instead. This would allow Ben White to play in his usual central role having filled-in at right-back last season.

Joao Cancelo is reportedly Arsenal’s main target. The Portuguese can play at right-back or left-back, so he could provide support for Oleksandr Zinchenko as well with Kieran Tierney set to depart. Cancelo is on the market after falling out with Guardiola, but the big question is whether Man City will do business with Arsenal again.

It’s certainly going to be an exciting summer for Arsenal fans as the club prepare to push for the title once again next season.