Arsenal Back In Training And Other Latest Arsenal News

It seems like such a short time since the domestic season ended, but the Arsenal players returned to pre season training yesterday. It's only just over five weeks since Arsenal won the FA Cup for the second season in a row, but the early start to the new season means it's an early start to pre season too. It's less than five weeks to the first league game of the season and less than four weeks to Arsenal's Community Shield game with Chelsea.

Of course not all of the players will be back immediately as some of them had qualifiers to play with their countries and there was the small matter of the Copa America too. With Chile winning the trophy for the first time ever Alexis Sanchez only finished his season on Saturday night and he probably won't come back to the club until after that Chelsea game. He played in the Workd Cup last summer too and his need for a break from the game has to be of the utmost importance for him and the club too no matter how much he might think he does not need the rest.

It's been a magnificent season for Alexis since he was signed from Barcelona last summer. He carried the team almost single handedly in the first half of the season and finished it with a great goal in the Cup Final and 25 goals in all competitions for the club. He topped it off perfectly with the winning goal in the penalty shoot out for Chile against Argentina on Saturday night to earn the few weeks rest he should now look forward to.

In his absence Arsenal have brought in Petr Cech and there's the possibility of David Ospina leaving as a result. Ospina played until the last eight in the Copa America and won't be back for a while either and that might just put his potential exit on hold for the next few weeks. It would be more than a little tough on him if he had to go after only one season, but it does seem to be the most likely scenario.

It looks like there will be another place in the squad to be filled too with Lukas Podolski on his way to Galatasaray after three years at Arsenal. He had his moments during that time and most of them involved his sweet left foot, but he never really made himself a mainstay of the team. When he was allowed to go out on loan to Inter Milan in the second half of last season the writing was on the wall and his departure comes as no surprise. 

The transfer rumours continue by the minute and they're far too numerous to go into here. The departures might not be finished either and a few players will have to go if there are to be new arrivals. I still think a couple of players will come in, but it's not easy to know who they will be or even what positions they will play.

There are plenty of players who will be looking to make a bigger impact this season too and it promises so much. Players like Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mathieu Debuchey and Mikel Arteta were held back by injuries last season and all of them will want to have more influence in the coming season. There's Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers too who will look for more game time as well as players like Seege Gnabry and Gedion Zelalem trying to make their breakthrough.

I know Arsenal have had their problems with injuries for what seems like an eternity now, but the size and strength of the squad gives us genuine hope for next season. If the right money can be spent on the right players to finish the squad off then the season could be one which brings glory. It's hard to be downbeat about Arsenal's chances for next season and it's great to see the first of the players back to set the wheels in motion to what we hope will be more silverware.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.