With the Premier League due to end in a fortnight, attention will soon turn to the summer transfer window and pre-season tours.
As seems customary these days, the top teams tend to go to all corners of the globe, safety permitting, in order to get maximum commercial value from their trips.
This summer will see a number of teams travel to the United States of America, with Arsenal having already announced a first-ever game against Man United outside of England.
The north Londoners are also up against MLS All Stars in the first match of their tour, and on Friday the official Arsenal website announced one final game. And what a game!
On July 26, the Gunners will play against La Liga giants and soon to be 2022/23 Spanish top-flight title winners, FC Barcelona.
By that point, it’s entirely possible that the Catalan outfit will look very much different than it does at present.
Pep Guardiola: “I’m sure Leo Messi will try everything to return to Barcelona”, told ESPN ??? #FCB
“I’m sure Joan Laporta will try to make it happen and Messi the same — I hope he can say goodbye as he deserved, I want to be on my own seat on the field to enjoy his farewell”. pic.twitter.com/7ytNzWQ7tx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 10, 2023
There are strong rumours that the club are trying to re-sign their former player, Lionel Messi, by way of example, and that’s bound to make the spectacle of these two storied clubs even more high-profile than it otherwise might have been.
From Mikel Arteta’s point of view, it will give him the chance to see his players up against some of the best in Europe, and not forgetting it’s one of the Spaniard’s old clubs and therefore he’s sure to want to get one over on them.
Although pre-season games are only supposed to be friendlies, there are still bragging rights to earn.
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