Arsenal will start their pre-season on Tuesday when they lock horns with MLS outfit Colorado Rapids.
After that, they play against Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Angers and Barcelona and will complete their pre-season with the Emirates Cup.
These pre-season outings are more than just warm-up and crowd appeasement games as they will enable Unai Emery in assessing the best players he has at his disposal.
Here are three players who should take the upcoming fixtures seriously and make their presence felt so that they head into the new season in the manager’s good books.
Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil is undoubtedly an amazing talent owing to his vision and creative prowess in the final third. However, Ozil’s reputation as the best playmaker of the game has been diluted as he flattered to deceive in the last two seasons.
Last season, the 30-year-old managed to bag just a couple of assists in 24 Premier League appearances.
Considering that he pockets £350,000-a-week in wages, his performances have been far from satisfactory. His work ethic is another issue that continues to make headlines.
A good pre-season will be crucial for him as it would give him a lot of confidence.
Gabriel Martinelli
Following his move from Brazilian side Ituano to the Emirates Stadium for a reported transfer fee of £6million, Gabriel Martinelli has the chance to integrate himself immediately into the team.
The Gunners do need an effective winger, and Martinelli could provide the solution. His pace coupled with his technical prowess means he could prove to be a crucial player for the club next season.
Although he is immensely talented, he has to show his character and resolve when he gets the opportunity to be on the pitch. If he manages to impress before the start of the season, he could well become a regular as Emery doesn’t exactly have quality options to choose from.
Eddie Nketiah
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette did the bulk of the goal-scoring last season for Arsenal.
Although the two are not expected to go anywhere, Eddie Nketiah might be useful next season.
Nketiah is not expected to be a regular starter, but is likely to get more opportunities as Danny Welbeck has been released.
He ended the previous season on a high as he scored in stoppage time on the final day of the season against Burnley. He has the potential, and if he can make a statement in pre-season, he could have a breakthrough year.
