Images: Arsenal Stars Return To Pre-Season Training

Arsenal stars including Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang report back for pre-season…

It’s July, and that can only mean one thing! Well, for a club as flaccid as us in the transfer market it only means one thing – the start of pre-season.

All the players who didn’t take part in any post-season internationals were back at London Colney on Friday to begin their preparations for the new campaign.

The likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bernd Leno were among the returning group, while there were a few notable promotions.

Bukayo Saka, the boy many consider to be the next one up from Hale End, has joined the first-team for the first day of pre-season and hasn’t been included in the U23 squad that is due to take on Boreham Wood on Saturday afternoon.

That could be a very pertinent and exciting addition to the squad as Saka embodies the qualities many felt were lacking from the squad last season – pace and trickery out wide.

Also, new signing Gabriele Martinelli comes straight in to train with the first team following his arrival from Ituano this summer, though it remains to be seen as to the nature of his involvement this season.

Matt Macey made up the goalkeeping set-up on show alongside Leno, Emi Martinez and Dejan Iliev.

Check out some of the images above as Unai Emery puts the boys through their paces and for more snapshots of the players’ return to training, click here.