Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThomas Partey is set to join Villarreal following his release from Arsenal.
The Ghana midfielder left Emirates Stadium as a free agent earlier this summer after failing to agree a new contract with the Gunners.
Partey, 32, is understood to have agreed a two-year deal with the La Liga side.
Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images'Why did you fall in love with your club?'
This week, we have asked hundreds of football fans across the world that very question and got hundreds of different answers.
Yes, the themes might be similar - born near a ground; family supported the team; watched a certain player - but the individual story will be unique to each supporter.
The relationship between a fan and their club should not be underestimated, with people ploughing uncountable amounts of money, time and emotional energy into their support for their team.
But what is that makes us love our clubs the way we do?
"A lot of it comes down to our identity," researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs told BBC Sport.
"We become part of this group that means so much to us. It becomes a way to find a community that you're a part of and to find a group of people that, no matter where you are, you could find a pub with other fans of your team. You have that kinship.
"In a world that's increasingly quite lonely, this provides one of the ways that we can have connections so we can have the feeling that we're part of something bigger."
Connection and identity plays a big role in someone's love for their club - particularly when it is a family link.
Many fans talk of being born into who they support - that the connection is so strong there was no other team they could, or would, have chosen.
"The great thing with football is that there's such a strong heritage component to it," Sarver Coombs said. "Often, your grandfather, father, mother or whomever was a fan of the team, so it's part of your family's tradition.
"It's handed down from generation to generation."
The uniqueness of football fandom is something researchers are increasingly investigating.
An article, external published earlier this year in psychology journal Frontiers discusses how football fans often follow follow teams with 'significant attachment and commitment, sometimes to the bewilderment of those outside of the game'.
"With football clubs, you have decades of tradition that you can tap into and it's going to keep coming," Sarver Coombs added.
"Players come and go, managers come and go, shirts change, badges change, but the club itself - the heart and soul of it remains constant. You always have that piece that you're tied to, so the longevity of clubs is a really important part.
"But also, that constant in-person opportunity to be present in a community space really sets football apart from other passions that may be transient or do not have that constant engagement."
Brazil winger Rodrygo, 24, wants to stay at Real Madrid amid interest from Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. (AS - in Spanish), external
Stuttgart are working on a deal to sign 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira from Arsenal. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Porto were interested in Poland defender Jakub Kiwior, 25, but are unwilling to meet Arsenal's 30m euros (£26m) asking price. (A Bola - in Portuguese), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal hold an interest in Rennes' young defender Jeremy Jacquet.
The France Under-21 international has been watched extensively by the Gunners and is positioned highly in the club's list of potential defensive reinforcements.
Sources have told BBC Sport not to rule out a swoop for the 20-year-old during this transfer window.
If a deal for Jacquet does not transpire ahead of the current deadline, Arsenal will continue to monitor the player's progress ahead of a possible future move.
Jacquet has played extensively for France's junior sides and is tipped to become a future full international.
The defender extended his contract with Rennes in May, with his existing deal due to expire in 2029.
Whether Arsenal formalise their interest in Jacquet may depend on whether the Gunners offload one of their existing defenders.
Oleksandr Zinchenko can leave the Emirates should a suitable offer arrive this summer while there is some interest in Jakub Kiwior.
Arsenal have already added six new players to their squad this summer with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres all arriving.
We know the relationship between a football fan and their club is a special one so, as we gear up for the new season, we asked you to share why you fell in love with Arsenal and some of your favourite moments supporting them.
Here is a selection of your submissions:
Anand: I grew up in the 1980s, when Indians were often told by their parents that football was for hooligans and not for us. My coolest older cousin was an Arsenal fan because of the black players in the team like Wright and Rocastle. One day, he was hanging me over the banister in our terraced house asking me: "Who do you support?" I knew he was an Arsenal fan so I said Arsenal and he put me down and said: "Correct answer." I've been supporting them ever since. My cousin died just over a year ago, and now I watch every Arsenal match wearing his match scarf. Arsenal are a bond we shared, and when we do well, I think of him. And when we do badly, I can hear his optimistic voice saying 'it will get better.'
Jeffrey: "What team do you support, Dad?" I asked when I was about seven years old in 1967. "Arsenal" was his reply, and so began my support which has spawned a family tradition in an emotional rollercoaster.
My most cherished memory is me, my Dad and my two sons witnessing the clinching of the 1998 title. My son John ran onto the pitch and was hoisted into the air by David Seaman in front of the North Bank. He bemoans to this day of having no photo of the moment as I was too wrapped up in the emotion to take a photo. Watching the celebrations at home, his mum was unaware that the junior Gunners scarf worn by Seaman during his interview was in fact her son's.
Emotional too after my Dad's passing, a tribute in the matchday programme and on the Emirates big screen and a cannon made up of a collage of supporters names who had passed away during the season. Arsenal showed their class by allowing his membership to be passed to my daughter, Claire, so we could continue to attend as a family.
Although much more difficult to get tickets these days, more memories are made as now my grandchildren join me. Arsenal has become part of our family tradition, and emotional attachment.
Michael: Ever since I can remember I've been in love with the Arsenal. It's always been the best way for me to bond with my dad and let go of everything else in life that causes problems. I've not always had it easy but this club has always and will always make my life a whole lot easier (even if we don't win anything!) and I'll never let that go. The friends we've made sitting behind the North Bank are ones you don't see for a few months in the summer but once the season is back, it's like you never left. Nothing will ever compare to the love that I and so many others have for the club and it's absolutely beautiful.
Send your pictures and stories here
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal have completed their pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong and return to England hoping the preparations will help them win their first trophy since 2020.
Plans for this pre-season heavily involved manager Mikel Arteta. He was across the idea to put on the voluntary player training camp in June, before the full group travelled to Spain and on to Asia.
The Gunners were decimated by injuries last year and Arteta has spoken previously about how too long a break means the players break down when exposed to physical stress after a period of rest. The camps were designed to get them to a high level as soon as possible.
The pre-season work seemed to have the desired effect and all three of the Gunners' opponents mentioned Arsenal's level of performance, while Arteta himself believes there has been a click.
The pressure to win a trophy is not something the club are shying away from - centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes referenced it in interviews, as did Arteta in his first news conference of the tour - alongside huge posters showing the slogan 'ready for new heights' at the away kit launch in Singapore.
Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician
Image source, Getty ImagesOne of the major reasons why Liverpool scored 17 more goals than Arsenal last season was because Mikel Arteta's side could not create enough chances.
Over the course of 38 games, Liverpool took 95 more non-penalty shots than the Gunners… exactly 2.5 more than the runners-up every game.
If the Gunners had taken the same number of non-penalty shots as the champions and continued scoring at the rate that they did (12.3%), then they would've scored an additional 12 goals, showing Arsenal's main problem last season was that you can't score the chances you don't make.
Image source, OptaWhile obviously the more Viktor Gyokeres can help Arsenal finish their chances the better, he should also help solve the Gunners' main problem of creating enough chances in the first place.
Last season he attempted 4.5 shots per 90 minutes on average in the Primeira Liga, far more than Gabriel Jesus (3.0) and Kai Havertz (2.6) averaged for Arsenal in the Premier League.
Although clearly the number of shots a striker takes is in part down to the service he gets from his team-mates, it's also a result of the options he gives his team-mates with his movement and anticipation in and around the box.
Given that Gyokeres also ranked second for chances created from open play in the league (60) and won the most penalties (4), he should play a major role in providing the ammunition the Gunners need to make a challenge for the Premier League title this season.
Image source, Richarlison InstagramIt may only have been a friendly - won 1-0 by Tottenham - but it seems there's always room for a little banter between players.
Spurs striker Richarlison has tagged Arsenal defender Gabriel in a photo with his trophy for winning man of the match. Gabriel responded with an image of three player of the match trophies, all earned against Tottenham. He duly tagged the striker in the post.
Image source, Gabriel
Image source, RuthOn Monday, we asked you to tell us why you fell in love with Arsenal and some of your favourite moments supporting them.
You have already been getting in touch with your photos and stories and here is just a taste from Ruth:
"I grew up in north London with a dad and a grandad both Gunners.
"As a teenage girl, I would jump on a bus and the tube to most home games, stand in the boys' enclosure doing the crossword in the programme until I normally missed the one home goal of the game. 'One-nil to the Arsenal' - it's in the blood !
"I always had something to chat to my grandad about and he always suddenly jolted awake after the nine o'clock news when they gave the scores!
"I took my twins to fun runs round the stadium and to victory parades. Nowadays, we go as often as we can for the Gunners' family feeling. I nearly always find someone near me in the stand to chat to and have a laugh with."
So join the conversation and send your best photos about why you love the Gunners.
Your first visit to the stadium? A special kit? An amazing away trip?
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke to the media in Hong Kong on Thursday, after his side's 1-0 defeat by Tottenham.
On how he assesses his team at this point of pre-season: "I'm very positive for everything that I've seen in the past 10 days - it gives me a lot of encouragement.
"We are ahead of what I was expecting in many areas. Even though tonight's result leaves you a taste, that I think is going to be very positive as well.
"We'll start on Monday again with two great games at the Emirates to finalise the preparations and be ready for Old Trafford."
On handing first Arsenal appearances to Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera: "I'm really happy to have them here. I think they are going to add a lot of value. You see straight away the energy and the quality they are going to bring."
On Leandro Trossard leaving the pitch less than 20 minutes after coming on: "Yeah he felt a little tweak. I think he tried to turn and he was pushed and he felt something muscular so we'll have to assess him."
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesMikel Arteta says Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber will all be fit for the start of the Premier League season.
Centre-back Gabriel played 45 minutes in Arsenal's win over Watford behind closed doors but has not played any minutes of the tour to Singapore and Hong Kong after picking up an injury in training.
Calafiori started the first two games of Arsenal's tour but limped off just two minutes into the second half against Newcastle and he missed the match against rivals Tottenham.
Timber, has been recovering after having ankle surgery in May, and only recently joined team training.
After the 1-0 loss to Spurs in the Kai Tak stadium, Arteta was asked if any of the three might miss the first Premier League match of the season at Manchester United on Sunday, 17 August.
"I don't think so," he replied. "If they evolve like they've been involved in the last few days, the three of them will be available."
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham claimed a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the first north London derby outside of the United Kingdom.
Thomas Frank's side hit the woodwork three times in the first half at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, before midfielder Pape Matar Sarr's stunning 45th-minute winner from the halfway line.
New Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres did make his first appearance, coming off the bench in the second half, but was unable to prevent Spurs ending Mikel Arteta's side's perfect pre-season record.
Mikel Arteta has named a strong starting XI for the first north London derby outside the UK at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.
New addition Viktor Gyokeres misses out on making his full debut, but could still make an appearance after being named on a stacked bench.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Norgaard, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz.
For Tottenham, Son Heung-min is on the bench alongside James Maddison, who could make his first pre-season appearance.
Spurs XI: Vicario, Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Spence, Bergvall, Sarr, Bentancur, Odobert, Johnson, Richarlison.
Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal's decision to spend an initial £54.8m on Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres was underpinned by struggles in front of goal over the last two seasons - particularly after hybrid forward Kai Havertz was ruled out for nearly all of the second half of the campaign through injury.
Arsenal's underlying attacking numbers show why more goal threat is needed and why they have signed only the third striker of Mikel Arteta's tenure, after Havertz and Gabriel Jesus - and arguably the first genuine number nine.
The Gunners scored 22 fewer goals in the 2024-25 Premier League in comparison to the previous season, while their tallies of shots and expected goals also dropped dramatically – a combination that could be linked to a lack of movement, presence and precision upfront.
The trend of scoring fewer goals, particularly from open play, extends to the 2022-23 campaign. The Gunners netted 70 times from open play that season. This figure then dropped to 59 in 2023-24 and then 50 in 2024-25.
Another factor in Arsenal's misfiring attack was an increased failure to take the best chances – an issue which extended into other competitions, including critical misses in their Champions League semi-final defeat by Paris St-Germain.
Finally, in correlation with their diminishing goal returns, Arsenal had fewer shots and touches in the opposition box in 2024-25 compared with the previous two years.
If Arsenal are to come out on top this season, these are the trends they will have to reverse.
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesAttacking midfielder Max Dowman has shown in friendlies against AC Milan and Newcastle exactly why there is so much excitement about his potential.
Having first trained with the first team when he was 14, Dowman was part of the senior squad that travelled to Dubai in January for their winter training camp.
There was even talk around that time about the England youth international getting a call-up to the side following an injury crisis, with key forwards Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all sidelined at various times through injury.
This summer, Dowman has replaced England international Saka in both pre-season friendlies. While he showed moments of skill in the AC Milan match, it was the performance against Newcastle that demonstrated why he has been tipped for a Premier League debut this season.
A delightful dribble into the area, which ended with Dowman being fouled by Joelinton for a penalty that handed Arsenal a 3-2 victory, was one of the standout moments of the game.
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesWhen evaluating the futures of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, there is less pressure on Palace to make a big decision on the former.
In many ways it is out of their hands. The England international has a £68m release clause - if a club agrees to meet that fee, then Palace are powerless in deciding his future.
It is understood the buyout expires two weeks before the start of the season, which offers Palace an added layer of protection.
Arsenal have a genuine interest in Eze but so far have shown no inclination of triggering the forward's release fee.
Well-placed sources are also indicating that Arsenal would prefer to sell a forward before making any formal move for Eze.
There is also a feeling at Arsenal that Eze's best position is at number 10 - an area that Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri operate in.
Eze can play on the left and Arsenal may view the Palace forward as a multi-functional attacker rather than just a number 10.
Palace are aware of Arsenal's interest.
The Gunners are understood to value Eze lower than the clause and want to negotiate a deal beneath the agreement.
As things stand, Palace chairman Steve Parish has offered no hint he would be open to negotiating a lower price; though there is a thought at rival clubs his stance may soften later in the window, to avoid the player going into the final year of his deal.
It is understood Eze is very open to joining Arsenal.
The attraction is clear, with Arsenal a contender for both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Crystal Palace have informed Arsenal that they would have to pay at least £35m in advance to sign Eberechi Eze, with the rest of the 27-year-old attacking midfielder's £67.5m fee due in instalments. (Guardian), external
